Archaeological data provide valuable information about the uses of plants in the past. Information comes from a number of sources, including fossil plant and human remains as well as tools and implements. Oral histories, folk tales, and prehistoric art often provide additional clues. This range of data reflects the diversity of expertise required to analyze it.
1. In your own words, define the following two areas of study: archaeology and paleoethnobotany.
How do these two terms relate to each other? How does paleoethnobotany differ from paleobotany?
2. The paper discusses two types of data: artifactual and paleoethnobotanical. For each give specific examples of sources of data and the type of information you can gain.
3. Why were/are psychoactive plants used in religion and medicine?
4. Give examples of plants that had uses in addition to their psychoactive effects.
The hypothesis presented by Merlin was that "humans have a very ancient tradition involving the use of mind-altering experiences to produce profound, more or less spiritual and cultural understanding." In an essay of 750-1000 words (4-5 double-spaced, word-processed pages) use one plant presented in this article to argue for or against this hypothesis. To defend your argument make sure you correctly identify what the archaeological data indicates about past uses of the plant. You may also want to try to find evidence that contradicts that which is presented in your paper. You will also need to provide the following background information:
the common and scientific names as well as the family to which the plant belongs its geographic origins and its current distribution as well as current uses the chemical nature of the psychoactive principle and its physiological effects. Be sure that you are presenting the concepts in your own words and that you include current information. You should follow APA or CBE format for preparing your essay and citing sources. For guidance on conducting research and writing research papers, consult Study Room 399. If you have questions about the assignment, consult your course tutor. When you have completed the assignment, use the Mail tool in your online course to email it to your tutor for comments and evaluation. Make sure you save a copy of your assignment before emailing it to your tutor for evaluation. That way, you have a copy to refer to during telephone conversation or email evaluation with your tutor. Also, in the unlikely event that your assignment is lost, you will have an extra copy of your work. Many student writing manuals today suggest that students keep copies of all early drafts of their work as well, to protect themselves against mistaken charges of plagiarism.