Taphonomic Observations of Archaeological Wheat Phytoliths from Neolithic Çatalhöyük, Turkey, and the Use of Conjoined Phytolith Size as an Indicator of Water Availability*

Taphonomic processes significantly reduce the size of conjoined wheat husk phytoliths, challenging their use as indicators of past water availability and agricultural practices. The study examined phytoliths from a midden deposit at Neolithic Çatalhöyük using three methods, revealing that laboratory extraction and slide preparation diminish conjoined forms' size. Thin-section observations further highlighted depositional and post-depositional processes affecting phytolith size. These findings underscore the need for additional research to clarify taphonomic impacts before drawing inferences about ancient environmental conditions.

SHILLITO, L.-M. (2011). TAPHONOMIC OBSERVATIONS OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL WHEAT PHYTOLITHS FROM NEOLITHIC ÇATALHÖYÜK, TURKEY, AND THE USE OF CONJOINED PHYTOLITH SIZE AS AN INDICATOR OF WATER AVAILABILITY*. Archaeometry, 53(3), 631–641. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-4754.2010.00582.x