Understanding the Carbonization and Preservation of Sunflower and Sumpweed Remains

In this paper, I describe important chemical and physical properties of carbonized sunflower and sumpweed achenes and examine how those properties influence both the preservation and interpretation of these remains. Specifically, I designed a series of laboratory experiments to understand better the changes in chemical composition associated with the carbonization of achenes and to evaluate more thoroughly the use of measurements as a method to identify morphological changes linked with domestication. I also discuss how other factors, including the natural environment and processing technologies, may affect achene size and preservation.