UC San Diego

Analysis of macro and micro botanical remains is currently underutilized in archaeological studies of Black heritage sites. This type of analysis, known as archaeobotany or paleoethnobotany, assists in inferring historical uses of plant material for diet, medicine, environmental modification, and other human-plant interactions. Despite its potential to reveal evidence of resistance, agency, and cultural continuity among enslaved and free Black communities, no systematic assessment has examined archaeobotanical methods in Black archaeology. Inspired by Naomi Miller's 2011 survey identifying challenges in archaeobotanical practice, this thesis investigates archaeobotanical analysis in Black heritage sites in the United States through a scoping review, using keywords across five databases. Ten studies were selected and analyzed to understand research trends, methodological approaches, data sharing practices, and limitations. The review reveals a geographic concentration in the southeastern United States, methodological standardization around flotation techniques, universal absence of data sharing, and consistent focus on autonomy and resistance within plantation contexts. However, the findings expose critical gaps: no post-emancipation sites are examined, community engagement is minimal, and botanical data are treated as inert scientific objects rather than as ancestral memory. The results are compared to Miller’s survey to develop recommendations for advancing the field. Building on Fryer's framework of "heritage as liberation," I argue that archaeobotany's potential to support contemporary food movements remains unexplored. Every study in this review documented enslaved peoples' sophisticated plant-based resistance strategies, yet none connect these historical practices to present-day concerns.