Finding Medieval Medicine Through Archaeobotany: An Ontological Approach

An ontological approach to medieval archaeobotany could assist in uncovering otherwise obscure evidence of complex human-plant interactions. In particular, archaeobotanical remains could contribute more toward research on medieval medicine and understandings of human and environmental health. This a...

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Published inEnvironmental archaeology : the journal of human palaeoecology Vol. ahead-of-print; no. ahead-of-print; pp. 1 - 14
Main Authors Blakeney, Rebecca, Teixidor-Toneu, Irene, Kjesrud, Karoline, Kool, Anneleen
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Routledge 21.04.2023
Taylor & Francis
Subjects
Archaeobotany
Humanities and Social Sciences
interdisciplinarity
medicinal plants
medieval medicine
multivocality
ontology
plant remains
Social Anthropology and ethnology
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Summary:An ontological approach to medieval archaeobotany could assist in uncovering otherwise obscure evidence of complex human-plant interactions. In particular, archaeobotanical remains could contribute more toward research on medieval medicine and understandings of human and environmental health. This article considers ways in which current archaeobotanical methods and practices may be limiting interpretations of medieval plant remains. We argue that increased immersion in both ontological and sedimentary contexts can improve archaeobotanical research by integrating plant remains with other archaeological and textual evidence. We offer an interdisciplinary theoretical and methodological framework toward broadening the interpretative scope of medieval archaeobotanical datasets, with an emphasis on humoral and spiritual ontologies.
ISSN:1461-4103
1749-6314
DOI:10.1080/14614103.2023.2202933