A Man and a Plant: Archaeobotany

This chapter discusses the significance of archaeobotanical studies for recognition of the mutual relationship between a man and a plant in the past. The author presented sources providing the grounds for palaeoeconomic and palaeoecological analyses and interpretations, which means the type and state of preservation of plant remains encountered at archaeological sites and methods employed for examining them. A great majority of the material enclosed in this chapter is based on Polish handbook entitled Guidebook to Archaeobotanical Studies. The issues discussed here are mainly based on biological sources, with particular attention drawn to materials coming from Poland, only in few cases complemented with information gathered in other regions.