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Preliminary phytolith and starch grain analysis from agricultural raised fields from coastal French Guiana

Jose Iriarte (Department of Archaeology, SoGAER, University of Exeter)
Irene Holst (Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute)
Stephen Rostain (Laboratoire Archéologie des Amériques, CNRS)
Jennifer Watling (Department of Archaeology, SoGAER, University of Exeter)

Abstract

This paper presents the results of preliminary on-going analysis of combined microfossil botanical studies from late Holocene agricultural raised-fields in coastal French Guiana. Phytolith analysis from different types of raised fields, including small mounds and long ridged fields, indicates that maize (Zea mays L.) was one major crops cultivated in these agricultural landscapes. The presence of phytoliths from the vegetative and reproductive organs of maize -leaf, cob and husk- suggests that farmers deposited crop residues on the mounds after harvesting. The in situ deposition of phytoliths has also provided us with a highly localized picture of the vegetation growing in the raised-fields, which were constructed in different settings of the landscape. Starch grain analysis from ceramic griddle fragments from the Sable Blanc archaeological site complements the phytolith analysis from the raised fields. We discuss and compare our data with other botanical studies of raised-field agriculture in the Americas.