Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
1037552 | Journal of Archaeological Science | 2006 | 9 Pages |
Abstract
Recent reports indicate that phytoliths may provide direct archaeological evidence of banana cultivation. However, archaeologists may, in many places, recover phytoliths generated by banana plants with quite different historical backgrounds. Hence the need for a differentiation among phytoliths produced by specific banana groups. The present paper discusses the morphometric distinction between phytoliths produced by the constitutive diploid species Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana. Our study suggests that domestication of the banana, which was initiated at the diploid M. acuminata level, does not appear to have influenced phytolith morphometry.
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Physical Sciences and Engineering
Materials Science
Materials Science (General)
Authors
T. Ball, L. Vrydaghs, I. Van Den Hauwe, J. Manwaring, E. De Langhe,