Making "focaccia" in Neolithic SW Asia 🏺
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Unveiling the culinary tradition of ‘focaccia’ in Late Neolithic Mesopotamia by way of the integration of use-wear, phytolith & organic-residue analyses - Scientific Reports
Scientific Reports - Unveiling the culinary tradition of ‘focaccia’ in Late Neolithic Mesopotamia by way of the integration of use-wear, phytolith & organic-residue analyses
www.nature.com
November 29, 2024 at 12:59 PM
Making "focaccia" in Neolithic SW Asia 🏺
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
So excited to share our accepted manuscript! It sets up a dicot phytolith baseline for NW Europe.
Phytolith researchers working on reference materials know how time-consuming this type of work is 🥵, I hope it will be useful to many.
Happy reading soon and feel free to reach out!
Phytolith researchers working on reference materials know how time-consuming this type of work is 🥵, I hope it will be useful to many.
Happy reading soon and feel free to reach out!
Phytoliths in dicotyledons occurring in North-western Europe: Establishing a baseline
AbstractBackground and Aims. The absence of a modern plant-based ‘dicotyledon’ phytolith reference baseline impedes the accurate interpretation of fossil p
academic.oup.com
December 17, 2024 at 6:39 PM
So excited to share our accepted manuscript! It sets up a dicot phytolith baseline for NW Europe.
Phytolith researchers working on reference materials know how time-consuming this type of work is 🥵, I hope it will be useful to many.
Happy reading soon and feel free to reach out!
Phytolith researchers working on reference materials know how time-consuming this type of work is 🥵, I hope it will be useful to many.
Happy reading soon and feel free to reach out!
Today after fieldwork we had a presentation on phytolith analysis by PhD candidate Beatrice Bin, followed by laboratory practice on phytolith extraction and counting
#archaeology
#JamesBrinkFieldSchool
@archeosciences-bordeaux.fr
@erc.europa.eu
@cnrsshs.bsky.social
@cnrsaquitaine.bsky.social
#archaeology
#JamesBrinkFieldSchool
@archeosciences-bordeaux.fr
@erc.europa.eu
@cnrsshs.bsky.social
@cnrsaquitaine.bsky.social
June 26, 2026 at 7:28 PM
Today after fieldwork we had a presentation on phytolith analysis by PhD candidate Beatrice Bin, followed by laboratory practice on phytolith extraction and counting
#archaeology
#JamesBrinkFieldSchool
@archeosciences-bordeaux.fr
@erc.europa.eu
@cnrsshs.bsky.social
@cnrsaquitaine.bsky.social
#archaeology
#JamesBrinkFieldSchool
@archeosciences-bordeaux.fr
@erc.europa.eu
@cnrsshs.bsky.social
@cnrsaquitaine.bsky.social
Hey #phytolith folks, We are helping researchers to learn about open science practices and how to embed them into phytolith research.
Check out our multi-lingual website: open-phytoliths.netlify.app
We have lots of resources about open access, data repositories, FAIR data, Github & ontologies.
Check out our multi-lingual website: open-phytoliths.netlify.app
We have lots of resources about open access, data repositories, FAIR data, Github & ontologies.
Open Phytoliths
Open Phytoliths - Building a shared vision for open science adoption and implementation among phytolith researchers globally.
open-phytoliths.netlify.app
November 22, 2024 at 4:55 PM
Hey #phytolith folks, We are helping researchers to learn about open science practices and how to embed them into phytolith research.
Check out our multi-lingual website: open-phytoliths.netlify.app
We have lots of resources about open access, data repositories, FAIR data, Github & ontologies.
Check out our multi-lingual website: open-phytoliths.netlify.app
We have lots of resources about open access, data repositories, FAIR data, Github & ontologies.
A study in Nature suggests that humans were living in the wet tropical forests of Africa as early as 150,000 years ago, representing the earliest known evidence for humans in this habitat type. https://go.nature.com/3Da89OW 🧪 🏺
February 26, 2025 at 11:12 PM
A study in Nature suggests that humans were living in the wet tropical forests of Africa as early as 150,000 years ago, representing the earliest known evidence for humans in this habitat type. https://go.nature.com/3Da89OW 🧪 🏺
My latest paper is a cross between autobiography, history and review. 45 years of plant silicon and #phytolith research!! #PlantScience #SoilScience 🧪 🏺
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
September 1, 2026 at 9:00 AM
My latest paper is a cross between autobiography, history and review. 45 years of plant silicon and #phytolith research!! #PlantScience #SoilScience 🧪 🏺
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
A study in Nature suggests that humans were living in the wet tropical forests of Africa as early as 150,000 years ago, representing the earliest known evidence for humans in this habitat type. https://go.nature.com/3Da89OW 🧪 🏺
March 8, 2025 at 2:07 AM
A study in Nature suggests that humans were living in the wet tropical forests of Africa as early as 150,000 years ago, representing the earliest known evidence for humans in this habitat type. https://go.nature.com/3Da89OW 🧪 🏺
As a phytolith researcher mainly working in the NE, it is frustrating that my usual assemblages are cereals (with wetland plants). Combined with macro remains, we don’t get the whole picture of what people ate. Barley and lentils can get a bit boring tbh 1/
🏺🧪 #AncientBluesky
🏺🧪 #AncientBluesky
What did the first farmers eat? #NationalFoodDay
Traditionally, 8 'founder crops' are thought to have been initial staples, but archaeobotanical remains suggest a much more diverse diet combining farmed and gathered resources.
🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy...
🏺 #Archaeology
Traditionally, 8 'founder crops' are thought to have been initial staples, but archaeobotanical remains suggest a much more diverse diet combining farmed and gathered resources.
🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy...
🏺 #Archaeology
October 24, 2025 at 9:38 PM
As a phytolith researcher mainly working in the NE, it is frustrating that my usual assemblages are cereals (with wetland plants). Combined with macro remains, we don’t get the whole picture of what people ate. Barley and lentils can get a bit boring tbh 1/
🏺🧪 #AncientBluesky
🏺🧪 #AncientBluesky
(3/5) 💡 Key findings:
✅ Some phytolith morphotypes & features are taxonomically diagnostic
✅ Phytolith production varies, but phytolith assemblage composition are consistent
✅ Plant part & taxonomy influence phytolith presence with high production in leaves and certain plant families
✅ Some phytolith morphotypes & features are taxonomically diagnostic
✅ Phytolith production varies, but phytolith assemblage composition are consistent
✅ Plant part & taxonomy influence phytolith presence with high production in leaves and certain plant families
March 12, 2025 at 3:33 PM
(3/5) 💡 Key findings:
✅ Some phytolith morphotypes & features are taxonomically diagnostic
✅ Phytolith production varies, but phytolith assemblage composition are consistent
✅ Plant part & taxonomy influence phytolith presence with high production in leaves and certain plant families
✅ Some phytolith morphotypes & features are taxonomically diagnostic
✅ Phytolith production varies, but phytolith assemblage composition are consistent
✅ Plant part & taxonomy influence phytolith presence with high production in leaves and certain plant families
Great work by @rosaliehermans.bsky.social & the team on developing a dicot phytolith baseline for NW Europe to make it easier accurately interpret archaeological and palaeoecological data!
@tloeffelmann.bsky.social @christophe-fire.bsky.social @caestromberg.bsky.social @amgc-vub.bsky.social 🌱🌿
@tloeffelmann.bsky.social @christophe-fire.bsky.social @caestromberg.bsky.social @amgc-vub.bsky.social 🌱🌿
So excited to share our accepted manuscript! It sets up a dicot phytolith baseline for NW Europe.
Phytolith researchers working on reference materials know how time-consuming this type of work is 🥵, I hope it will be useful to many.
Happy reading soon and feel free to reach out!
Phytolith researchers working on reference materials know how time-consuming this type of work is 🥵, I hope it will be useful to many.
Happy reading soon and feel free to reach out!
Phytoliths in dicotyledons occurring in North-western Europe: Establishing a baseline
AbstractBackground and Aims. The absence of a modern plant-based ‘dicotyledon’ phytolith reference baseline impedes the accurate interpretation of fossil p
academic.oup.com
December 18, 2024 at 1:16 PM
Great work by @rosaliehermans.bsky.social & the team on developing a dicot phytolith baseline for NW Europe to make it easier accurately interpret archaeological and palaeoecological data!
@tloeffelmann.bsky.social @christophe-fire.bsky.social @caestromberg.bsky.social @amgc-vub.bsky.social 🌱🌿
@tloeffelmann.bsky.social @christophe-fire.bsky.social @caestromberg.bsky.social @amgc-vub.bsky.social 🌱🌿
Siggy Osborne and Emma Jenkins @buarchanth.bsky.social preparing for plant collecting tomorrow in order to create a phytolith reference collection of the Drumadoon landscape! @gavinmacgregor.bsky.social @urbanprehistorian.bsky.social @fossilbeetle.bsky.social
April 4, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Siggy Osborne and Emma Jenkins @buarchanth.bsky.social preparing for plant collecting tomorrow in order to create a phytolith reference collection of the Drumadoon landscape! @gavinmacgregor.bsky.social @urbanprehistorian.bsky.social @fossilbeetle.bsky.social
🌾Almost ready for the next International Meeting on Phytolith Research!!
July 11, 2025 at 2:35 PM
🌾Almost ready for the next International Meeting on Phytolith Research!!
♻️🆓: Palms of the past: can morphometric phytolith analysis inform deep time evolution and palaeoecology of Arecaceae?
doi.org/10.1093/aob/...
#PlantScience
doi.org/10.1093/aob/...
#PlantScience
Palms of the past: can morphometric phytolith analysis inform deep time evolution and palaeoecology of Arecaceae?
AbstractBackground and aims. Palm fossils are often used as evidence for warm and wet palaeoenvironments, reflecting the affinities of most modern palms. H
doi.org
April 14, 2026 at 2:16 PM
♻️🆓: Palms of the past: can morphometric phytolith analysis inform deep time evolution and palaeoecology of Arecaceae?
doi.org/10.1093/aob/...
#PlantScience
doi.org/10.1093/aob/...
#PlantScience
Soil phytolith assemblages reflect palm community composition in western Amazonia
Open access: McMichael, C. N. H., Guerra, D., Witteveen, N. H., Heijink, B. M., Zwarts, A., Zuquim, G., Balslev, H., Ruokolainen, K., & Tuomisto, H. (2026). Soil phytolith assemblages reflect palm community…
Open access: McMichael, C. N. H., Guerra, D., Witteveen, N. H., Heijink, B. M., Zwarts, A., Zuquim, G., Balslev, H., Ruokolainen, K., & Tuomisto, H. (2026). Soil phytolith assemblages reflect palm community…
Soil phytolith assemblages reflect palm community composition in western Amazonia
Open access: McMichael, C. N. H., Guerra, D., Witteveen, N. H., Heijink, B. M., Zwarts, A., Zuquim, G., Balslev, H., Ruokolainen, K., & Tuomisto, H. (2026). Soil phytolith assemblages reflect palm community composition in western Amazonia. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 344, 105443.
ecologyofthepast.info
September 25, 2026 at 9:19 AM
Soil phytolith assemblages reflect palm community composition in western Amazonia
Open access: McMichael, C. N. H., Guerra, D., Witteveen, N. H., Heijink, B. M., Zwarts, A., Zuquim, G., Balslev, H., Ruokolainen, K., & Tuomisto, H. (2026). Soil phytolith assemblages reflect palm community…
Open access: McMichael, C. N. H., Guerra, D., Witteveen, N. H., Heijink, B. M., Zwarts, A., Zuquim, G., Balslev, H., Ruokolainen, K., & Tuomisto, H. (2026). Soil phytolith assemblages reflect palm community…
🌱 Paper alert: The introduction paper of a special issue in Vegetation History and Archaeobotany, resulting from the 12th Internat Meeting for Phytolith Research held online in 2021. With many thanks to all authors, co-editors and many others! doi.org/10.1007/s003... #Archaeobotany #Palaeoecology
Advances in phytolith research in archaeology and paleoecology: developments and applications - Vegetation History and Archaeobotany
Vegetation History and Archaeobotany -
doi.org
February 5, 2025 at 8:04 PM
🌱 Paper alert: The introduction paper of a special issue in Vegetation History and Archaeobotany, resulting from the 12th Internat Meeting for Phytolith Research held online in 2021. With many thanks to all authors, co-editors and many others! doi.org/10.1007/s003... #Archaeobotany #Palaeoecology
Phytolith studies! This was my major project in my archaeological science class *mumble* years ago.
February 10, 2025 at 8:38 PM
Phytolith studies! This was my major project in my archaeological science class *mumble* years ago.
✅📄Now Free Access: Inter- and intra-observer variation in phytolith morphometry
Get the Paper: doi.org/10.1093/aob/...
Get the Paper: doi.org/10.1093/aob/...
Inter- and intra-observer variation in phytolith morphometry
AbstractBackground. Archaeobotanists and palaeoecologists use geometric morphometrics extensively to identify plant opal phytoliths. Particularly when appl
doi.org
June 13, 2026 at 2:06 PM
✅📄Now Free Access: Inter- and intra-observer variation in phytolith morphometry
Get the Paper: doi.org/10.1093/aob/...
Get the Paper: doi.org/10.1093/aob/...
Researchers examined phytolith production in 74 species (117 specimens) using light microscopy. They analyzed how phytolith presence and assemblage composition varied by plant part, taxonomy, and life form (forbs vs. shrubs/trees). (4/7)
March 27, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Researchers examined phytolith production in 74 species (117 specimens) using light microscopy. They analyzed how phytolith presence and assemblage composition varied by plant part, taxonomy, and life form (forbs vs. shrubs/trees). (4/7)
I for one would be very interested in your take on it. Always the Doubting Thomas, and knowing very little on the subject, I was thinking that finding starch and phytolith to ancient beer making is a huge jump assumption wise? But perhaps it's converted starches they mean, and then replicated? ...
September 28, 2026 at 6:57 AM
I for one would be very interested in your take on it. Always the Doubting Thomas, and knowing very little on the subject, I was thinking that finding starch and phytolith to ancient beer making is a huge jump assumption wise? But perhaps it's converted starches they mean, and then replicated? ...
Cool to see our work covered in the New York Times!
Although we don't definitively say in our paper that this was a rainforest (as we don't have a rainfall proxy), the pollen, phytolith, and plant wax data all suggest wet adapted species and the site's location is in the rainforest biome today.
Although we don't definitively say in our paper that this was a rainforest (as we don't have a rainfall proxy), the pollen, phytolith, and plant wax data all suggest wet adapted species and the site's location is in the rainforest biome today.
Meanwhile, 150,000 years ago: hunter-gatherers thrived in rain forests, once considered too harsh for early Homo sapiens to survive. Here's my story [Gift link] nyti.ms/3EThoDL 🧪
Early Humans Thrived in Rainforests (Gift Article)
The discovery clashes with the traditional image of humans evolving on the savannas of East Africa.
nyti.ms
February 26, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Cool to see our work covered in the New York Times!
Although we don't definitively say in our paper that this was a rainforest (as we don't have a rainfall proxy), the pollen, phytolith, and plant wax data all suggest wet adapted species and the site's location is in the rainforest biome today.
Although we don't definitively say in our paper that this was a rainforest (as we don't have a rainfall proxy), the pollen, phytolith, and plant wax data all suggest wet adapted species and the site's location is in the rainforest biome today.
Two very successful PhD defences in #paleorudolph lab. Amanda Mateo Beneito explored multi proxy climate reconstruction and it's effect on vegetation dynamics. Kristýna Hošková paved new avenues in phytolith analysis and its use in environment reconstruction. Both with cum laude, congratulations!
September 12, 2025 at 6:43 PM
Two very successful PhD defences in #paleorudolph lab. Amanda Mateo Beneito explored multi proxy climate reconstruction and it's effect on vegetation dynamics. Kristýna Hošková paved new avenues in phytolith analysis and its use in environment reconstruction. Both with cum laude, congratulations!
🚨New paper alert🚨
Adding ‘flavour’ to past cuisines: First steps towards a phytolith reference collection of modern Mediterranean herbs🌿
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Adding ‘flavour’ to past cuisines: First steps towards a phytolith reference collection of modern Mediterranean herbs🌿
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Adding ‘flavour’ to past cuisines: First steps towards a phytolith reference collection of modern Mediterranean herbs
Most aromatic herbs belong to plants within the onion subfamily (Allioideae Herb.), the mint family (Lamiaceae Martinov), the parsley family (Apiaceae…
www.sciencedirect.com
March 31, 2025 at 5:28 PM
🚨New paper alert🚨
Adding ‘flavour’ to past cuisines: First steps towards a phytolith reference collection of modern Mediterranean herbs🌿
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Adding ‘flavour’ to past cuisines: First steps towards a phytolith reference collection of modern Mediterranean herbs🌿
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Nick is working on our phytolith samples and bulk samples from Glencoe offering us exciting insights into the environment, fuel and subsistence strategies of the communities we study!
July 31, 2025 at 11:45 PM
Nick is working on our phytolith samples and bulk samples from Glencoe offering us exciting insights into the environment, fuel and subsistence strategies of the communities we study!
Prepping for the Phytolith Morphometry Workshop at #IMPR2025 in Barcelona this July!
We’ll dive into the some hands-on 3D modelling of phytoliths.
👉 For scholars attending the IMPR, please feel free to attend the workshop by registering before May 31!
We’ll dive into the some hands-on 3D modelling of phytoliths.
👉 For scholars attending the IMPR, please feel free to attend the workshop by registering before May 31!
May 20, 2025 at 1:34 PM
Prepping for the Phytolith Morphometry Workshop at #IMPR2025 in Barcelona this July!
We’ll dive into the some hands-on 3D modelling of phytoliths.
👉 For scholars attending the IMPR, please feel free to attend the workshop by registering before May 31!
We’ll dive into the some hands-on 3D modelling of phytoliths.
👉 For scholars attending the IMPR, please feel free to attend the workshop by registering before May 31!
Hi! Currently back working on carbon sequestration in #phytoliths. It is quite exciting as they seem to have the potential to sequester a lot!
January 14, 2024 at 5:23 PM
Hi! Currently back working on carbon sequestration in #phytoliths. It is quite exciting as they seem to have the potential to sequester a lot!