Archaeobotany: Wood and Charcoal Remains

The identification and interpretation of wood remains from archaeological contexts is a well-established discipline with its own theoretical principles and methodologies within the research fields of archaeobotany, environmental archaeology and palaeoecology. Wood was an essential material in the ancient world, as it was used for virtually all aspects of daily life (including fuel, construction and artifact manufacturing) while simultaneously being symbolically charged and at times even serving as a status marker. In this entry, we describe the biological and technical aspects of the identification of archaeological wood remains (mainly charred, dry, and waterlogged) based on their anatomical structure. Methods for field sampling, microscopic analysis and data interpretation are also discussed.