Commentary: Paleoethnobotany beyond diet, environment, and ecology

Abstract

In this chapter I focus on contemporary practices and approaches in paleoethnobotany beyond diet, environment, and ecology as illustrated by the papers of this volume, and by the contributions of Christine A. Hastorf. I discuss approaches for seeking “the invisible,” insights into spatiotemporal characteristics of rituals, and revealing the social realm through paleoethnobotany. Inferring complex human behaviors from the archaeobotanical record is both challenging and rewarding.