People and Plants Lab

‘Archaeobotany’ or ‘Palaeoethnobotany’ (derived from the Greek ‘ancient-people-plants’) is the archaeological science concerned with the recovery and analysis of archaeological plant remains to investigate past human-environment interactions, including past foodways, technologies, trade, landscape management, and much more. 

The ANU School of Archaeology and Anthropology's People and Plants Lab, led by Dr Anna Florin is an archaeobotanical research group focused on community-partnered research across the Asia-Pacific region, including Australia. The research within this group contributes to key archaeological themes and debates, including:

  • The role of plant foods and food processing in human evolution and dispersal;
  • The long-term development of food systems, especially within “hunter-gatherer” and “horticultural” economies;
  • The position of humans in their environment, including as niche constructors involved in the multi-generational development of ecosystems.

The People and Plants Lab is also committed to the co-design of research with Indigenous community partners, and the use of archaeological and ethnobotanical research to support broader research impact for our community partners.

Equipment and Reference Collections

Our lab includes low- and high-powered light microscopes, including an Olympus SZX16A, and a JEOL desktop SEM (shared with users in the ANU School of Culture, History and Language, College of Asia and the Pacific). Our comparative reference collections are constantly being developed, and include material from Australia, New Guinea, Oceania, and Southwest Asia. 

Current Student Research Projects:

  • Elise Matheson (PhD, 2025–) – Reconstructing arid zone plant use through archaeobotanical and ethnobotanical investigations at Juukan 2 Rockshelter, Puutu Kunti Kurrama Country
  • Natasha Lyall (PhD, 2026–) –  Changing foodways in Vanuatu, Lapita to the present: A multi-method botanical approach
  • Emma Jones (Masters, 2026–) – Archaeobotany at Dargan Rockshelter, Blue Mountains, NSW
  • Rebecca Wilson (Honours, 2026–) – Experimental archaeology of taro (Colocasia esculenta) cooking
     

Completed Student Research Projects:

  • Millicent Duncan (Masters, 2025–2026) – Archaeobotany at Ormi, Dauar Island, Meriam Country, Torres Strait
  • William Jones (Honours, 2025) – The archaeobotany of Con Dat, a “hunter-gatherer” shell mound in north-central Vietnam
  • Natasha Lyall (Honours, 2025) – Transforming landscapes: Investigating charred plant macrofossils from Melabong, East Efate, Vanuatu
  • Charlie Cooper (3rd-Year Undergrad Research Project, 2025) – Archaeobotanical investigations of Jar Site 75, Plain of Jars, Laos
  • Jalen Green (3rd-Year Undergrad Research Project, 2024) – Identifying the anatomical characteristics of yam (Dioscorea spp.) tubers and aerial bulbils
     

Recent Media: 

ABC Radio National’s The Science Show: The Diet of the First Australians 

The Conversation: Ancient mud reveals Australia’s burning history over the past 130,000 years – and shows a way through our fiery future

The Conversation: 65,000 years of food scraps found at Kakadu tell a story of resilience amid changing climate, sea levels and vegetation

Recent Publications:

Contact us: Please extend any enquiries to Dr Anna Florin (anna.florin@anu.edu.au) 

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