Journal of California and Great Basin Anthropology

The identification of the constituent materials of a basket usually is made by the educated scrutiny of their surface characteristics. However, when these criteria yield results that are confusing or without precedent, other methods sometimes may be employed. It therefore was decided to macerate and section the fragments; identification would be attempted on the basis of a detailed analysis of the wood anatomy of the fragments. The anatomical characteristics recorded were then compared with published anatomical descriptions of possible plants as well as dried herbarium samples of known composition.