Investigation into plant anatomy for economic botany research : woody plant species used by medieval craftsmen

Abstract

Modern trend to use more environmental­friendly materials makes wood desirable renewable resource in various fields. Different species of wood have different properties, both technologi­ cal and decorative, therefore specific plants should be used for specific needs. Knowledge of wood utilization traditions could help in selecting suitable plants. Inspection of species­specific micro anatomical features is the most reliable method for wood species identification, espe­ cially in old wood objects. The potentiality of anatomical method to identify plant taxonomy of degraded archeological wooden artifacts is demonstrated in the presented study. A collection of more than 500 wooden artifacts from archeological excavation in the Vilnius Lower castle was studied and 18 woody plant genera or species were identified, some not native in Lithuania. significant differences in the species spectra of different functional groups of the artifacts were established indicating plant selection strategies by medieval craftsmen.