Ansley Wunderlich
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Research Mentor(s): Laura Motta
Co-Presenter: Kilian, Antonina
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Kelsey Museum of Archaeology / LSA
Presentation Date: April 20
Presentation Type: Film
Session: Session 1 – 10am – 10:50am
Room: Vandenberg
Authors: Ansley Wunderlich, Laura Motta, Antonina Kilian
Presenter: 4
Abstract
This portion of the Gabii Project focuses on examining the botanical data retrieved from the archaeological site to better understand the subsistence patterns and agricultural economy of one of the first urban centers in central Italy during the first millennium BCE, providing valuable information about the region but also about the general patterns of development of the Roman civilization. Previous to the project, there was very little research about the ancient city of Gabii. The laboratory uses stereomicroscopes to analyze the subset of plant material extracted from the site, sort it, categorize, and label it, so it can later be put into a database for further analysis. The hypothesis for the project is that the archaeobotanical record reflects the effect of increased socio-economic complexity and urban development at Gabii on subsistence patterns and crop use. This portion of the project aims to gather and sort the relevant data so it can be later analyzed in the context of time and space, comparing the samples from different periods and excavation contexts, in order to test this hypothesis. The Gabii Project is the first site where systematic sampling has been applied to archaeobotanical materials, making it crucial not only for the Lazio region and deepening the understanding of urbanism in Ancient Italy, but also general development of research methods used in the archeological field research.
Natural/Life Sciences, Social Sciences
