Caroline R Cartwright1. 1. Science Group, Department of Conservation and Scientific Research, British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 2DG, UK ccartwright@britishmuseum.org.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The science of wood anatomy has evolved in recent decades to add archaeological and historical wood to its repertoire of documenting and characterizing modern and fossil woods. The increasing use of online wood anatomy databases and atlases has fostered the adoption of an international consensus regarding terminology, largely through the work of the International Association of Wood Anatomists (IAWA). SCOPE AND CONCLUSIONS: This review presents an overview for the general reader of the current state of principles and procedures involved in the study of the wood anatomy of archaeological and historical specimens, some of which may be preserved through charring, waterlogging, desiccation or mineral replacement. By means of selected case studies, the review evaluates to what extent varying preservation of wood anatomical characteristics limits the level of identification to taxon. It assesses the role played by increasingly accessible scanning electron microscopes and complex optical microscopes, and whether these, on the one hand, provide exceptional opportunities for high-quality imaging and analysis of difficult samples, but, on the other hand, might be misleading the novice into thinking that advanced technology can be a substitute for specialized botanical training in wood anatomy.
BACKGROUND: The science of wood anatomy has evolved in recent decades to add archaeological and historical wood to its repertoire of documenting and characterizing modern and fossil woods. The increasing use of online wood anatomy databases and atlases has fostered the adoption of an international consensus regarding terminology, largely through the work of the International Association of Wood Anatomists (IAWA). SCOPE AND CONCLUSIONS: This review presents an overview for the general reader of the current state of principles and procedures involved in the study of the wood anatomy of archaeological and historical specimens, some of which may be preserved through charring, waterlogging, desiccation or mineral replacement. By means of selected case studies, the review evaluates to what extent varying preservation of wood anatomical characteristics limits the level of identification to taxon. It assesses the role played by increasingly accessible scanning electron microscopes and complex optical microscopes, and whether these, on the one hand, provide exceptional opportunities for high-quality imaging and analysis of difficult samples, but, on the other hand, might be misleading the novice into thinking that advanced technology can be a substitute for specialized botanical training in wood anatomy.
Authors: David W Robinson; Kelly Brown; Moira McMenemy; Lynn Dennany; Matthew J Baker; Pamela Allan; Caroline Cartwright; Julienne Bernard; Fraser Sturt; Elena Kotoula; Christopher Jazwa; Kristina M Gill; Patrick Randolph-Quinney; Thomas Ash; Clare Bedford; Devlin Gandy; Matthew Armstrong; James Miles; David Haviland Journal: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Date: 2020-11-23 Impact factor: 11.205