Periodic Reporting for period 1 - CHUFA (Characterizing Underground storage organs For their Archaeological investigation)
Reporting period: 2021-10-01 to 2023-09-30
Underground Storage Organs (USOs) commonly known as roots, tubers or bulbs and also referred to as parenchymatous tissue, are plant structures that store energy (mostly carbohydrates) and water. Current research suggests that USOs had a key role in two capital moments of human history: as a fall-back and also staple food during hominin evolution; and at the beginning of the domestication of plants and animals in south-west Asia, where USOs may be as important as cereals and legumes. Therefore, it can be expected that they had a major role in plenty of other hunter-gatherer (HG) prehistoric societies but have been to date undervalued for multiple reasons such as retrieval issues, identification difficulties and also the focus on other food resources. The result is that these materials remain very often unstudied, kept in drawers without further analysis, together with other materials such as bread-like and food remains. All these reasons, together with the limited availability of atlases and reference collections available, explain the underrepresentation of this resource in the archaeological record.
In a quick changing world which wanders towards globalization, the interest on slow food, and, in general, traditional foods, has continuously gained more followers during the last decade. The result is a big focus of the citizenship’s attention on wild local plants, but also a bunch of expectations in better knowing the environment and how past communities managed the resources available. This is also directly related to food security concerns, which has became a hot topic in many fields of research, and allows to translate from the past to the present and from academic archaeology to the public. Moreover,a primary aim of the CHUFA project is to unveil the use of a plant resource generally harvested by the female segment of human groups, putting into value the labour and role of this in a given society. The traditional approach to HG diets has relied on animal remains and chemical analysis that focused on protein-rich foods. In addition to the resulting bias in the definition of these diets, they also minimize the role of women, children and elderly people who were, according to ethnographic records, often in charge of gathering plants for food and other purposes. These activities, have traditionally received less attention from scholars, as a result of the androcentric lead of science. Consequently, unveiling the consumption of USOs will contribute to assess the role of women within HG communities, balancing our knowledge about men and women economical activities in the past.
The aim of this proposal is to stablish a systematic methodology for the study of Underground Storage Organs (USOs), commonly known as roots, tubers or bulbs, creating a digital reference collection database and developing experimental archaeology. The main research objectives of this proposal are: a) Application of new methods to study parenchymatous tissue remains (ESEM, 3Dscanner and microCT), b) Creation and publication of a botanical reference collection of USOs using the new methods and c) Creation of a data base on use-wear traces and residues on experimental material related to USOs labour. Through its interdisciplinary approach this project will provide archaeobotanists and use-wear analysis specialists with reference material for the identification of USOs and their processing in archaeological sites and fill in this gap in Hunter-Gatherer investigation.
In a quick changing world which wanders towards globalization, the interest on slow food, and, in general, traditional foods, has continuously gained more followers during the last decade. The result is a big focus of the citizenship’s attention on wild local plants, but also a bunch of expectations in better knowing the environment and how past communities managed the resources available. This is also directly related to food security concerns, which has became a hot topic in many fields of research, and allows to translate from the past to the present and from academic archaeology to the public. Moreover,a primary aim of the CHUFA project is to unveil the use of a plant resource generally harvested by the female segment of human groups, putting into value the labour and role of this in a given society. The traditional approach to HG diets has relied on animal remains and chemical analysis that focused on protein-rich foods. In addition to the resulting bias in the definition of these diets, they also minimize the role of women, children and elderly people who were, according to ethnographic records, often in charge of gathering plants for food and other purposes. These activities, have traditionally received less attention from scholars, as a result of the androcentric lead of science. Consequently, unveiling the consumption of USOs will contribute to assess the role of women within HG communities, balancing our knowledge about men and women economical activities in the past.
The aim of this proposal is to stablish a systematic methodology for the study of Underground Storage Organs (USOs), commonly known as roots, tubers or bulbs, creating a digital reference collection database and developing experimental archaeology. The main research objectives of this proposal are: a) Application of new methods to study parenchymatous tissue remains (ESEM, 3Dscanner and microCT), b) Creation and publication of a botanical reference collection of USOs using the new methods and c) Creation of a data base on use-wear traces and residues on experimental material related to USOs labour. Through its interdisciplinary approach this project will provide archaeobotanists and use-wear analysis specialists with reference material for the identification of USOs and their processing in archaeological sites and fill in this gap in Hunter-Gatherer investigation.
The beginning of the project, initially planned for the 1st September 2021, was delayed in a month because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In total I have been working for 15 months consistently towards reaching CHUFA objectives. At the same time, I set a series of professional goals, expressed in the first part of this document, which I have pursued parallelly.
I have added some valuable skills to my analytical toolkit, improving my knowledge of SEM and ESEM imaging, learning HIROX digital microscopy basic skills, thins section preparation and staining, starch basic recuperation and preparation with Juanjo García-Granero (CSIC). Thanks to the advice of the late Josep Girbal, I have collected the reference material for 9 out of 10 species, developed a charring protocol to handle them. I have developed an imaging protocol (with advice of Lucy Kubiak-Martens) and made most of the ESEM pictures, tried out several staining methods and establish a suitable one for our material. Together with Oriol López-Bultó we have prepared the digging sticks replicas and put them into action. I have presented the results in national seminaries and international congresses.
I have continued my acquisition of other skills, with short courses in topics such as risk prevention in archaeological field work or leadership and women, and of course through the managing of this project, including the preparation of this document (with Ignasi Pastó and Ethel Allué), or the design of a Data Management Plan for the project with the support of Xavier Sopesens, prepared the metadata and planned the publication of the reference collection in an open access repository.
I have continued my task as editor for several journals, and as mentor for Master and PhD thesis, and host for a secondment of a postdoctoral researcher. I have actively participated as a full member in the RRI Committee of IPHES. With the support of Miquel Guardiola and Marta Fontanals, I have carried out other outreach and dissemination actions, such as a radio interview, activities in schools, lectures at IPHES or teaching for the master in Prehistoric Archaeology (UAB). I have applied for several projects and certifications, sadly without success, and for a Spanish excellence contract (Ramón y Cajal) that was granted, forcing me to abruptly stop my activities within this MSCA project. This 5-year contract will ultimately give me access to a permanent position.
I have added some valuable skills to my analytical toolkit, improving my knowledge of SEM and ESEM imaging, learning HIROX digital microscopy basic skills, thins section preparation and staining, starch basic recuperation and preparation with Juanjo García-Granero (CSIC). Thanks to the advice of the late Josep Girbal, I have collected the reference material for 9 out of 10 species, developed a charring protocol to handle them. I have developed an imaging protocol (with advice of Lucy Kubiak-Martens) and made most of the ESEM pictures, tried out several staining methods and establish a suitable one for our material. Together with Oriol López-Bultó we have prepared the digging sticks replicas and put them into action. I have presented the results in national seminaries and international congresses.
I have continued my acquisition of other skills, with short courses in topics such as risk prevention in archaeological field work or leadership and women, and of course through the managing of this project, including the preparation of this document (with Ignasi Pastó and Ethel Allué), or the design of a Data Management Plan for the project with the support of Xavier Sopesens, prepared the metadata and planned the publication of the reference collection in an open access repository.
I have continued my task as editor for several journals, and as mentor for Master and PhD thesis, and host for a secondment of a postdoctoral researcher. I have actively participated as a full member in the RRI Committee of IPHES. With the support of Miquel Guardiola and Marta Fontanals, I have carried out other outreach and dissemination actions, such as a radio interview, activities in schools, lectures at IPHES or teaching for the master in Prehistoric Archaeology (UAB). I have applied for several projects and certifications, sadly without success, and for a Spanish excellence contract (Ramón y Cajal) that was granted, forcing me to abruptly stop my activities within this MSCA project. This 5-year contract will ultimately give me access to a permanent position.
The project has been interrupted because of the successful achievement of a tenured position. However, most of the milestones have been achieved, and the remaining deliverables will be finished towards the attainment of CHUFA's results. The main achievement is the preparation of a reference collection of 9 mediterranean USOs, and the protocols for the preparation of reference material, descriptions and ESEM pictures. Underground Storage Organs were most probably an important source of calories and other nutrients for prehistoric societies and their underrepresentation in the archaeological record, due to several reasons, hinders our understanding of past economies.
On another note, nowadays civil society has a growing interest in traditional and past foods as a healthier option or a cultural choice, with an economic derivation, of those foods re-entering the markets. Moreover, local and traditional foods are adapted to harsher climate conditions and are seeing a means of facing the consequences of climate change in the future (being more resilient and suitable for local economies).
On another note, nowadays civil society has a growing interest in traditional and past foods as a healthier option or a cultural choice, with an economic derivation, of those foods re-entering the markets. Moreover, local and traditional foods are adapted to harsher climate conditions and are seeing a means of facing the consequences of climate change in the future (being more resilient and suitable for local economies).