Theoretical goals and methodological realities: Problems in the reconstruction of prehistoric subsistence economies

This paper addresses the utility of quantifying plant remains excavated from midden deposits of fully‐fledged agricultural settlements. Through an examination of subsistence data excavated from two single‐component sites on the Peruvian north coast, the authors consider the usefulness of such quantification in the analysis of seasonal patterns of resource utilization, cropping patterns and general dietary reconstruction. In a detailed discussion of methodological problems, several factors are identified which call into question both the reliability and the validity of the quantification of prehistoric plant remains. Foremost among these are the random nature of midden accumulation processes and problems of differential preservation due either to patterns of preparation and utilization or to differences in refuse durability. It is concluded that until a number of theoretical and methodological problems are resolved, the quantification of prehistoric plant remains will yield little additional information to that obtainable through traditional presence‐absence analysis.