Palaeoethnobotany (or the shorter term, archaeo- botany) is the study of the "direct interrelationships between humans and plants for whatever purpose as manifested in the archaeological record."50 No matter what the time period or geographical area, plants played an important role in human culture. As primary data about the natural environment, land- use practices, diet, architecture, and trade in exotic plant materials, plant remains also reflect many as- pects of society, including social practices, such as eating, the organization of labor, and status differentiation.