52. Birgül Öğüt: phytoliths in west Asian archaeology

 Birgül explains about her work using microscopic plant remains to understand life in ancient western Asia. What are phytoliths and how do we find them? How can such microscopic evidence tell us about building use, for example? And where do they sit in the archaeological toolkit? 3:12 what are phytoliths?5:14 sampling method8:02 dung11:43 limitations of phytoliths14:07 from the micro-scale to the big picture 16:59 combination with other methods20:59 training26:27 Birgül's projectsBirgül's Academia pageIf you would like to donate in support of the earthquake victims, Birgül suggests the following organisations: Ahbap: https://ahbap.org/Akut: https://www.akut.org.tr/en Music by Ruba HillawiWebsite: http://wedgepod.orgYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgwEmail: [email protected]: @wedge_podPatreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod

Om Podcasten

Thin End of the Wedge explores life in the ancient Middle East. There are many wonderful stories we can tell about those people, their communities, the gritty reality of their lives, their hopes, fears and beliefs. We can do that through the objects they left behind and the cities where they once lived. Our focus is on the cultures that used cuneiform (“wedge-shaped”) writing, so mostly on ancient Iraq and nearby regions from about 3000 BC to about 100 AD. Thin End of the Wedge brings you expert insights and the latest research in clear and simple language. What do we know? How do we know anything? And why is what we know always changing? Why is any of this important today? We won’t talk to you like you’re stupid. But you won’t need any special training to understand what we’re talking about. This is an independent production by me as an individual. It is not supported by my employer or any other organisation I am involved with, and the views expressed here do not necessarily reflect theirs.