Resumen de Comparative study of the crafts traditions in the batanes islands (philippines) and lanyu (taiwan, republic of china) based on plant anatomy-phytolith analysis and ethnobotany
This doctoral thesis aims at providing a better knowledge of basketry traditions and plant-based raw materials that were used for this craft in the Bashiic islands located in Southern Taiwan and Northern Philippines.
These islands are excellent context to carry out ethnobotanical studies: Batanes and Lanyu Islands are both isolated contexts and host numerous plant taxa, most of which are indigenous (or even endemic) and can be used as markers of contact.
Creating a reference collection of Ivatan (Batanes Islands) and Tao (Yami) (Lanyu Island) present-day handicraft will be useful in identifying and comparing plants and the techniques used for manufacturing ancient handicrafts. For this, we carried out semi-guided interviews with basket makers and we collected plants for anatomical treatments.
Reference collections of tropical plant anatomy are not so many. This is especially true of Monocotyledons group (which is an important part of plant-based handicraft). This research aims to contribute to fill this gap while linking it to Indigenous botanical knowledge. Moreover most of craft persons interviewed are elders and handicraft knowledge is therefore endangered.
This type of analysis can be applied to archaeological artifacts where botanical micro remains- such as anatomical parts, starch grains and phytoliths- may have been preserved. Some baskets which are used to protect bodies and things are made into a knotting-tying technique employing Musa textilis- abaca and other banana species fibers, these baskets are representing a unique knowledge.
Musa spp. status among other useful forest products can be of great interest to understand human and plant propagation through times.
