Ethnobotany
plants people use
The Doris Hoover Bowers ethnobotany collection and library is
housed in the museum's anthropology division. The collection was
donated by Bowers in conjunction with the Archaeological Survey
Association of Southern California (ASA).
In the 1960s and 1970s, Doris collected native seeds and plants
from sites in southern California for the ASA to use when they
conducted archaeological investigations. The collection has been
maintained and supplemented over the years. Archaeologists can
use it to help identify plants found in and around archaeological
sites. This information helps archaeologists determine what activities
had been conducted at a site.
The seeds and plants have been meticulously cross-referenced
in a number of different ways to promote easy location of the
information. Plants and seeds have been identified by common and
scientific names. The collection also contains a catalog of Native
American and pioneer uses of these plants and an extensive bibliography
for each plant.
Archaeologists are invited to visit the Doris Hoover Bowers Ethnobotany
Lab by appointment to use this valuable research tool.
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