28. Define and give examples of ecofacts.

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An ecofact is a biological artifact not altered by humans, but which may be indicative of human occupation. Ecofacts are strictly natural, so human objects such as tools, pottery, weapons, or structures are not ecofacts. Ecofacts fall into four main categories: faunal ecofacts, floral ecofacts, inorganic ecofacts, and organic ecofacts. Faunal ecofacts are ecofacts that come from animals, such as bones, teeth, antlers, etc. Faunal ecofacts are divided into human remains, bones of humans, and nonhuman ecofacts, anything that is not from a human. Floral ecofacts are ecofacts that come from plants and trees. This category of ecofacts has two subcategories: micro specimens (pollen, opal phytoliths), and macro specimens (seeds, plant fragments, impressions).The third category, inorganic ecofacts, are ecofacts from non biological remains. Examples of inorganic ecofacts include but are not limited to soils and minerals. The fourth and final category ecofacts are organic ecofacts. Organic ecofacts are ecofacts that are the remains of an organism that was once living. There are many examples of ecofacts, and a rather iconic ecofact is the mosquito stuck in the tree sap, most recognized in the film Jurassic Park.

Sources:

Origins Manual page 11

http://www.archaeologywordsmith.com/lookup.php?terms=ecofact

Image from: http://jurassicpark.wikia.com/wiki/DNA_in_Amber

Will Skinner