Archaeobotany

By studying archaeobotanical remains we can learn about past subsistence practices, agriculture and domestication, food preparation and cooking, fuel, crafts and building materials amongst others.

The University of York has a long history of involvement in archaeobotanical consultancy and research since the 1970s. Recently, archaeobotany has been incorporated into BioArCh as one of the key research areas granting access to cutting edge, collaborative work on ancient cooking practices, cuisine and diet in combination with an outstanding range of biomolecular techniques.

Our projects involve a range of collaborations with national and international institutions for the study of past food systems with the relationship between people and plants at the centre of attention.

Our people

Photo	Name	Role
	Dr Lara González Carretero	Lecturer in Bioarchaeology

Collaborations

• Dorian Q. Fuller - IoA, University College, London (UCL)
• Carl Heron - The British Museum
• Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA)
• Amaia Arranz-Otaegui - Universidad del País Vasco
• João Pedro Vicente Tereso - CIBIO

Facilities

BioArCh provides the ideal setting for archaeobotanical research with state-of-the-art laboratory facilities. Additionally, our PalaeoHub facility allows access to larger teaching laboratories and the latest microscopic techniques including digital and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM).

Experiments involving ancient food preparation and cooking techniques at our Year Experimental Archaeology Research (YEAR) Centre are also an essential part of our archaeobotanical projects.

We are open to consultations, collaborations, and short-term external use of our reference collections for research purposes.