MicroCT analysis of archaeological parenchyma identifies underground storage organs from late Holocene contexts at Birriwilk rockshelter, Manilikarr Country, northern Australia
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 23312570 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jenifer Pritchard (Australian National University), Denis Shine (Irish Heritage Trust), Aleese Barron (0000-0002-6677-9315, Australian National University), Rachel Wood (0000-0002-1694-3295, Oxford Archaeology), Alfred Nayinggul, Tim Denham (0000-0002-8164-2990, Australian National University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 5 |
| Publication date | 2026-07-24 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2813-432X • E-ISSN: 2813-432X |
| Publisher | Frontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3389/fearc.2026.1867558 |
| OpenAlex | W7170951072 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 38 |
MicroCT analysis of archaeological parenchyma fragments has identified Aboriginal exploitation of underground storage organs (USOs) at Birriwilk rockshelter, Arnhem Land, northern Australia. A variety of USO types were identified from late Holocene contexts, including bulbs/corms, dicotyledon primary/tap roots and monocotyledon stem tubers. The range of USOs exploited is consistent with ethnographic accounts of plant exploitation practices by Aboriginal communities in this region. Although lacking taxonomic specificity, these results demonstrate the value of using microCT to investigate charred archaeological parenchyma in order to understand past human use of soft-tissue, plant storage organs.
Holocene · Northern territory · Parenchyma · Range (aeronautics) · Underground storage · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Pacific and Southeast Asian Studies · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology
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| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |