Open research questions in Archaeology and ancient environmental studies

What the literature leaves open

• Ecological adaptation is a challenge for crop dispersal. The study of crop dispersal is limited by the availability of archaeobotanical data. Mis-identifications of taxa are a challenge for the analysis of crop distribution.

  Expansion, extension, or retreating? A meta-archaeobotany approach to patterns in crop dispersal · 2026 · DOI

• The study had to overcome the challenge of reconstructing vegetation change and human-environment interactions from limited data. The research had to deal with the complexity of the archaeostratigraphic sequence and the Bayesian-modelled chronological framework. The study faced the challenge of identifying the impact of agropastoral practices on the woodland management and vegetation.

  Agropastoral practices and woodland management shaped the Irano-Turanian steppe-forest vegetation during the Transitional PPNA/B–Early PPNB (8895–8210 cal bce) at Kharaysin, Jordan · 2026 · DOI

• The extent to which early Neolithic communities actively modified their landscapes remains a subject of debate. There is a lack of understanding of the impact of agropastoral practices on the woodland management and vegetation. The study of the Kharaysin archaeological site can fill this gap by providing insights into the human-environment interactions during this period.

  Agropastoral practices and woodland management shaped the Irano-Turanian steppe-forest vegetation during the Transitional PPNA/B–Early PPNB (8895–8210 cal bce) at Kharaysin, Jordan · 2026 · DOI

• The paper notes that the analysis of phytoliths is challenging due to the presence of background phytolith accumulation. The study highlights the need for careful consideration of taphonomic uncertainties and sample-scale limitations. The paper notes that the botanical data alone cannot resolve questions of production intensity or domestication status.

  Ecological flexibility: phytolith evidence for wetland-based mixed subsistence at the Pre-Pottery Neolithic megasite of Beisamoun, Israel · 2026 · DOI

• The lack of detailed understanding of the local agricultural landscape at Kukuliškiai. The need for a high-resolution dataset to investigate local economic activities and agricultural practices. The gap in current research on the environmental implications of agricultural practices at Kukuliškiai.

  Paradise lost: the rise and fall of the Late Bronze Age coastal farmers at Kukuliškiai, NW Lithuania · 2026 · DOI

• The study had to contend with the lack of previous palynological research in the Shap Fells area.

  Holocene vegetation history at Wet Sleddale, Cumbria, UK, including fine-resolution pollen and non-pollen palynomorph analyses at and about the Elm Decline · 2026 · DOI

• The extent to which plant-based subsistence strategies support the transformations in the long transition toward agricultural subsistence remains insufficiently tested. There is a lack of direct archaeobotanical data to test the interpretations of the Natufian period.

  Evolution of plant exploitation strategies of Early and Late Natufian hunter-gatherers at Shubayqa 1 (14,600–11,500 cal bp), Black Desert of Jordan · 2026 · DOI

• The complex interplay of freshwater and marine systems in the later Holocene is only partially understood. There is a lack of detailed sequence of palaeogeographical maps showing the co-evolution of sedimentation, hydrology and vegetation in the region.

  Reconstructing prehistoric land cover and landuse in complex ‘blue-green’ landscapes · 2026 · DOI

• The study faced challenges in terms of preservation biases, with charred remains being more common than waterlogged remains. The analysis of archaeobotanical material required careful consideration of the varied preservation conditions at the site.

  Re-thinking the preservation biases impacting the Neolithic plant record in the Iberian Peninsula: insights from La Draga (Banyoles, Spain) · 2026 · DOI

• There is a lack of archaeobotanical evidence for the domestication of Neltuma chilensis. The study aims to fill this gap by analyzing charred archaeological seeds and comparing them to modern seeds.

  Archaeobotanical evidence for a domesticated tree legume 500 years ago in Northwest Argentina: morphological and metrical evidence from Neltuma chilensis processed for food · 2026 · DOI

• The need to develop reliable methods for determining rice domestication. The challenge of interpreting the significance of Trapa and Euryale ferox remains in ancient diets.

  Beyond rice: persistent wetland plant use in the northwestern Tai Lake region during the 7th millennium bp · 2026 · DOI

• Limited detailed examination of Fagopyrum remains from archaeological sites. A lack of understanding of the dispersal of Fagopyrum in China during the 7th to 13th century ce. A need for a more refined identification of Fagopyrum remains.

  Archaeobotanical evidence of the spread of Fagopyrum (common buckwheat) in China during the 7th to 13th century ce · 2026 · DOI

• The lack of access to certain reference materials, such as the books by Fahn et al. and Akkemik and Yaman. The need for careful handling and analysis of the samples to ensure accurate identification of the wood taxa.

  From local use to distant trade: the identification of 2,300 years old wooden artefacts from the Kohan Dezh fortress, Iran · 2026 · DOI

• The lack of information on the wood taxa used in ancient wooden artefacts from the Kohan Dezh fortress. The need for a detailed analysis of wood resource management and material selection in an arid environment. The importance of understanding the technological adaptation and cultural implications of the identified wood taxa.

  From local use to distant trade: the identification of 2,300 years old wooden artefacts from the Kohan Dezh fortress, Iran · 2026 · DOI

• The identification of Fagopyrum remains from archaeological sites is challenging due to limited detailed examination. The analysis of charred modern samples requires careful consideration of temperature and time. The interpretation of radiocarbon dating results requires expertise in archaeology and chronology.

  Archaeobotanical evidence of the spread of Fagopyrum (common buckwheat) in China during the 7th to 13th century ce · 2026 · DOI

• To ask both old and new questions about the spread of agriculture and its later diversification, - To consider how some crops show patterns of retreat after initial expansion and may have been less suited to ecological extension in the long run, - To estimate rates of crop spread using an approach…

  Expansion, extension, or retreating? A meta-archaeobotany approach to patterns in crop dispersal · 2026 · DOI

• Further analysis of the botanical data to resolve questions of production intensity or domestication status. Investigation of the sampled contexts to derive directly from cultivation fields, storage facilities, or primary processing installations.

  Ecological flexibility: phytolith evidence for wetland-based mixed subsistence at the Pre-Pottery Neolithic megasite of Beisamoun, Israel · 2026 · DOI

• Further studies on the Shap Fells area, - Integration of NPP analyses with pollen…

  Holocene vegetation history at Wet Sleddale, Cumbria, UK, including fine-resolution pollen and non-pollen palynomorph analyses at and about the Elm Decline · 2026 · DOI

• The limited number and small size of some assemblages, particularly in western Anatolia, warrant caution, - Different recovery strategies, preservation conditions and taphonomies in the land and underwater…

  Rural production and land use at Iron Age Clazomenae, Ionia · 2026 · DOI

• Continued archaeobotanical work at the site will seek to test the hypotheses, - Further analysis of the plant remains to shed more light on the nature of arable farming and land use around…

  Rural production and land use at Iron Age Clazomenae, Ionia · 2026 · DOI

• The differences in recovery methods can directly influence the diversity of plant remains found, - The poor preservation of the charcoal, which was largely vitrified and had blocked cell anatomical features, - No seed or fruit remains or fragments of cereal foods were recovered from this burial ground, which is probably from the lack…

  Ashes to ashes: plant remains from Iron age funeral rituals in the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands · 2026 · DOI

• Systematic archaeobotanical sampling of funerary contexts, - Further research on the relationship between ancient societies and their environment, - Investigation of plant resource use in Iberian Iron Age…

  Ashes to ashes: plant remains from Iron age funeral rituals in the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands · 2026 · DOI

• The study only examined S. mistol carpological remains from the QN7 site, - The analysis was based on laboratory experimental replicas and samples from contemporary processing, - The study did not provide information on the long-term effects…

  An anatomical and experimental approach to understanding pre-Hispanic practices involving edible wild plants: the case of Sarcomphalus mistol (Rhamnaceae) fruits in central Argentina · 2026 · DOI

• The paper identifies a gap in understanding the pre-Hispanic practices involving edible wild plants, specifically Sarcomphalus mistol fruits in central Argentina. The study aims to fill this gap by constructing a model to distinguish past processing methods in archaeological specimens.

  An anatomical and experimental approach to understanding pre-Hispanic practices involving edible wild plants: the case of Sarcomphalus mistol (Rhamnaceae) fruits in central Argentina · 2026 · DOI

• The absence of associated farming tools leaves the scale of cultivation uncertain, - The study is limited to the northwestern Tai Lake region, - Archaeobotanical work in the region…

  Beyond rice: persistent wetland plant use in the northwestern Tai Lake region during the 7th millennium bp · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Archaeology and ancient environmental studies

• The IntCal20 Northern Hemisphere Radiocarbon Age Calibration Curve (0–55 cal kBP) · Radiocarbon · 2020 · 7,369 citations
• Marine20—The Marine Radiocarbon Age Calibration Curve (0–55,000 cal BP) · Radiocarbon · 2020 · 1,844 citations
• Willow Smoke and Dogs’ Tails: Hunter-Gatherer Settlement Systems and Archaeological Site Formation · American Antiquity · 1980 · 1,785 citations
• SHCal20 Southern Hemisphere Calibration, 0–55,000 Years cal BP · Radiocarbon · 2020 · 1,384 citations
• Archaeology as Anthropology · American Antiquity · 1962 · 777 citations
• Archaeological Context and Systemic Context · American Antiquity · 1972 · 661 citations
• Raw-Material Availability and the Organization of Technology · American Antiquity · 1994 · 483 citations
• Dimensional Analysis of Behavior and Site Structure: Learning from an Eskimo Hunting Stand · American Antiquity · 1978 · 459 citations
• Technological Efficiency and Tool Curation · American Antiquity · 1986 · 433 citations
• Toward the Identification of Formation Processes · American Antiquity · 1983 · 424 citations

Most recent work

• Variation in Human Bone Collagen Turnover Among Skeletal Elements · American Journal of Biological Anthropology · 2026
• A mid-Holocene age for Monte Verde challenges the timeline of human colonization of South America · Science · 2026
• Organic residue analysis in China: an overview, progress and prospects · Journal of Archaeological Science · 2026
• Análisis cualitativo y práctico de residuos químicos como indicador en la preparación y consumo de alimentos en el sur de América Central: aportes desde la arqueología experimental · Cuadernos de Antropología · 2026
• Strontium isotopes and concentrations in bioarchaeology – connecting diet and mobility · Journal of Archaeological Science · 2026
• Changing the Landscape of Archaeological Publishing · Current Anthropology · 2026
• Distribution prediction and driving mechanism of Neolithic settlements in the Jing River Basin, Northwest China · npj Heritage Science · 2026
• Rapid adoption of bow technology across western North America ∼1,400 years ago · PNAS Nexus · 2026
• Seasonality of shellgathering from δ18O analysis and the role of marine molluscs in Mesolithic coastal economies of Atlantic Europe · Quaternary Science Reviews · 2026
• Seasonal change in foraging behavior of sika deer (Cervus nippon) in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan revealed by dental microwear texture analysis: A reference for archaeological and palaeoecological applications · Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology · 2026

Related topics in Earth and Planetary Sciences