Ecofacts are a key concept in archaeology and anthropology. They refer to natural remains found at archaeological sites that provide information about human activity, but are not themselves artifacts (i.e., not modified by humans).
🌍 Definition
- Ecofact: Organic or environmental material found in archaeological contexts that helps reconstruct past environments and human behavior.
- Distinction: Unlike artifacts (human-made objects), ecofacts are natural remains that humans used, consumed, or were affected by.
🔑 Characteristics
- Types of Ecofacts:
- Botanical remains: Seeds, pollen, wood, charcoal, phytoliths.
- Faunal remains: Bones, shells, fish scales, insect parts.
- Soil samples: Sediments, chemical residues, isotopes.
- Preservation: Often fragile; preserved through carbonization, waterlogging, or desiccation.
- Context: Found in middens, hearths, burial sites, or storage pits.
📚 Examples
- Charred seeds in a hearth → evidence of plant use and diet.
- Animal bones in a midden → hunting, domestication, or butchering practices.
- Pollen grains in soil → reconstruction of past vegetation and climate.
- Shells in coastal sites → subsistence strategies and trade.
🛠 Anthropological Significance
- Subsistence Reconstruction: Ecofacts reveal what people ate and how they exploited environments.
- Environmental Context: Help reconstruct paleoclimate and ecological conditions.
- Cultural Practices: Indicate domestication, agriculture, feasting, and ritual use of natural materials.
- Interdisciplinary Value: Used in archaeobotany, zooarchaeology, and geoarchaeology.
✨ Summary
Ecofacts are natural remains—like seeds, bones, or pollen—that provide evidence of human activity and environmental context, without being human-made artifacts. They are crucial for understanding diet, subsistence, and ecological adaptation in past societies.
