Microfossil analysis of a grinding stone from the Etzanoa archaeological site
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The archaeological site known as Etzanoa (14CO3) was established by Ancestral Wichita peoples from roughly 1450 to 1715 CE along the Walnut River in Southern Kansas. In the summer of 2021 a metate, a type of grinding stone tool that was used to process foodstuff, was excavated from the site. To better understand the food processing that transpired among Etzanoans, samples were taken from the metate are currently undergoing starch and other microfossil analysis to determine what types of residues are present on the artifact. As of yet, no starch has been discovered amongst these samples, but there has been a significant number of fungi, which can be responsible for the degradation of starch. The analysis of lithic materials is a useful method for understanding the food processing of ancient societies and is an insightful study in food history.
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v.21