How Can We Keep Excavated Wood Samples and How Can We Construct their Database?

Abstract

Excavation of lowland archaeological sites during these decades brought us numerous wood samples for studies of paleo-flora, paleo-vegetation and human wood utilization. From these excavated woods, we can get information about how ancient people selected woods for their particular purposes appropriately in what kinds of flora and vegetation, how they processed them with what kinds of tools, and so on. For our botanical studies, identity of these excavated woods is the most important. The identification of wood by means of light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy should be based sufficient collections of extant wood collections. For such identification of excavated wood, preservation of the identified microscopic slides is essential. These slides must be avairable to anyone for further study. Finally construction of a computerized database of all the excavated woods is proposed.