Artifactual and Paleoethnobotanical Data - Essay Example

? Plant and Animals {Unit – of of Archaeology and Paleoethnobotany Merlin (2003) defines archeology as the scientific study of human society, by recovering and analyzing the environmental data and material culture that they left behind, including architecture, artifacts, and cultural landscapes. Archeology is both humanity and a science because it uses a wide range of procedures (Merlin, 2003). In the United States, scholars consider archeology as a branch of anthropology, while in Europe, it is scholars view archeology as discipline of its own. Archeology draws upon history, classics, art history, ethnology, geology, geography, linguistics, physics, anthropology, paleobotany, paleoethnobotany, paleontology, paleoecology, paleozoology, information science, statistics, chemistry, physics, and linguistics (Merlin, 2003). Paleoethnobotany refers to as the study of relationships between plants and animals, though the use of the archaeological records. The present human beings are aware of how people benefitted from plants for clothing, food, medicine, boats, houses, and a variety of tools and structures. Therefore, in the contemporary society, individuals try to understand the ecological and cultural dynamics of the previous food ways; techniques for producing, procuring, and managing plant resources; and the meaning that plants had to the past human beings (Merlin, 2003). Archeology and paleoethnobotany have a close relationship between themselves. Paleoethnobotany is the sub-field of archeology that deals with the study of plant remains from excavations. Therefore, archeology supports paleoethnobotany by providing the study materials, especially the plant remains. People can be able to understand the relationship between animals and plants through archeology. Paleoethnobotany and paleobotany Merlin (2003) defines paleobotany as a branch of paleontology, which deals with the identification and recovery of plant remains from their geological settings and how they are significant in biological reconstruction of the past environments. Paleobotany includes the evolutionary history of plants as it gives the basis for the examination of terrestrial plant remains as well as the prehistoric marine plants, such as seaweeds and photosynthetic algae. It is apparent that paleobotany differs from paleoethnobotany because paleobotany does not include the relationship between plants and animals, but only considers plant remains in their geological settings (Merlin, 2003). Artifactual and Paleoethnobotanical data A researcher depends on the collected data in order to support or test the hypothesis of a given research. For instance, there has been a need of data to support the hypothetical use of psychoactive drugs in the historical period. Researchers extract most of the data from the literature of disciplines such as archeology, anthropology, palynology, and ethnobotany. Dating of various evidences varies in relative reliability and technique. Artifactual and paleoethnobotanical data are forms of data that provide the archeological evidence for the relationship between plants and man in the previous days (Merlin, 2003). An example of the relationship is how ancient people used the psychoactive drugs. The artifactual data is the subject to some type of reconstruction and interpretation (Merlin, 2003). There will be a disagreement regarding the interpretation of the artistic, medicinal, religious, or other practical inspiration of an artifact. Paleoethnobotanical evidence results from the assignment of specimens to specific taxonomic groups, and verification of its putative use by human beings is sometimes contentious (Merlin, 2003). The most reliable archeological information results from the combination of artifactual and paleoethnobotanical evidences (Merlin, 2003). Merlin’s Hypothesis The evidence on use of cannabis for recreation, fiber, medicine, and ceremony is enough to go against Merlin’s hypothesis, which concerns the cultural and spiritual understanding of the ancient tradition of human beings. Researchers obtain the evidence regarding the use of Cannabis from archeological records, which are not very extensive. The scientific name for Cannabis is Cannabis sativa, and its earliest use appears to have taken place in China (Merlin, 2003). Hemp was among the earliest cultivated crop plants in China. The archeological data and historical records of China suggest that the cultivation and use of hemp started in about 6000 years ago (Merlin, 2003). Man found the hemp plant to be very useful for its fiber. The fiber from hemp plants was a law material for manufacturing cloths. Artifactual evidence included the specimens of hemp cloths. Man also used Cannabis for recreational purposes, especially for smoking. Ethnographic evidence supports the use of hemp seeds for smoking (Merlin, 2003). The archeological excavations in the Altai Mountains of Siberia revealed hemp seeds inside the bronze vessels in burial mounds (Merlin, 2003). Archeologists discovered the artifactual evidence in widely separated places, which is apparent that smoking of cannabis was common among the pastoral communities. The practice of using cannabis for smoking as a narcotic was the focus of the religious and social rites of the pastoral people during the early historic and prehistoric times in central Eurasia (Merlin, 2003). Archeologists also discovered that ancient human beings used Cannabis for medicine. In Central Israel, Archeologists discovered the use of Cannabis for medicine after they uncovered the skeleton of a 14-year-old girl in a tomb (Merlin, 2003). The archeologists believed the girl died while giving birth. According to the archaeologists, the abdominal area of the girl’s skeleton contained a small portion of dark burnt matter. The Israel botanist and police analyzed the substance at Hebrew University and found that the material was a mixture of common reeds, Cannabis resin, fruit, and dried seeds (Merlin, 2003). However, it was not easy to acquire the direct evidence regarding the ancient drug substances because of the rapid decay of the organic compounds. The substance that the archeologists found on the girl’s skeleton remained unaffected for many years because the process of burning carbonized it. The archeologists believed that the ancient man used the drug material for aiding child delivery because it increases the rate and strength of recurring contraction of the womb muscles while pushing the fetus through the birth canal (Merlin, 2003). Man found Cannabis useful in child delivery until 19th century, when newly developed medication replaced it. However, some people have disagreed with medicinal use of Cannabis, and have argued that the ritualistic use of Cannabis may be true (Merlin, 2003). It was unfortunate that the young female died because of excessive bleeding. Irrespective of the uses of Cannabis, the archaeological record is apparent evidence that the carbonized material on the skeleton was a very important ethnobotanical source in ancientness. However, it is often difficult to separate the ancient psychoactive, ritual, and medical uses of Cannabis, especially the mind-altering formulations for psychological stimulation, medicine, and ritual use, as well as the interrelationships of the traditional ritualistic practice, religious belief, and medicinal use because other plant products also provided the required substances for these functions (Merlin, 2003). Therefore, the evidences regarding the use of Cannabis to induce mind-altering experiences may not be true because there are many plants apart from the hemp plant that can provide mind-altering formulations. Most people do not agree with the evidence regarding the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes. However, they have not rejected the evidence regarding the use of cannabis for ritualistic purposes. The archeological evidence does not support Merlin’s hypothesis. However, people use cannabis for medicinal purposes and many other functions. The cannabis acts as a medicinal substance or a psychoactive drug because of it contains a number of chemical compounds. The chemical compounds of Cannabis include cannabinol, tetrahydrocannabivarin, cannabidiol, just to mention a few. These chemical compounds are very powerful in stimulating the central nervous system. Therefore, Cannabis is a psychoactive drug because of its stimulating effects. In the modern times, people use Cannabis for religious or spiritual, medicinal, and recreational purposes just like in ancient times. References Merlin, M. D. (2003). Archaeological Evidence for the Tradition of Psychoactive Plant use in the old world. Economic Botany, 57(3), 295-323. Read More