The use of Natural Science in archaeology has always been of interest for me in my archaeological activities. Archaeological excavations usually yield material which are able to illuminate new details when they are put through different scientific approaches. For my part, the analysis of charred plant material such as crops, weeds and wood have been used to look at such diverse things as crop regimes (which crops were used, introduction of new crops, crop rotation harvesting, threshing, storing etc.), settlement analysis (where placed in houses, functional analysis) and the general use of the natural resources in prehistory. These are all important issues when we want to look at how past societies managed their economic basis.
Characteristics of my research interests are the following:
– “Impact of charring on cereal grain characteristics: linking prehistoric manuring practice to <delta>15N signatures in archaeobotanical material.”
– “Evaluating archaeobotanical N-isotope measurement as an indicator of prehistoric farming practice: the impact of charring on cereal δ15N values.”
– Arkæobotanik : En tværvidenskabelig indfaldsvinkel til agerbruget i 1.-8.århundrede e.Kr.
For other publications and a list of my activities, please see:
Position:
Head of Conservation and Environmental Archaeology
Institution:
Moesgaard Museum, Denmark
Research areas:
plant micro- and macroremains; pollen analysis; paleobotany