College of Social Sciences, Art and Humanities

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Browsing College of Social Sciences, Art and Humanities by Subject "" "indigenous knowledge." And “archaeological implication""

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    Ethnoarchaeological Study of Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants in Arid and Semi-Arid Areas: the Case of Moyale Woreda, Borana Zone of Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia
    (Addis Ababa University, 2024-12-01) Morketa Befikadu; Alemseged Beldados (PhD)
    The research focuses on the ethnoarchaeology of the wild edible and medicinal plants of Moyale Woreda, Borana Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. It includes identification and documentation of a variety of Indigenous and local botanical knowledge and material cultures linked with wild edible and medicinal plants. A comprehensive methodology was employed, including pre-field preparation, fieldwork with semi-structured interviews, and post-field analysis. Plant specimens were obtained on the spot and brought to the National Herbarium at Addis Ababa University for scientific identification. A total of 83 species of plants were collected. Out of which species of medicinal plants, including Senegalia nilotica, Senegalia tortilis, Actiniopteris radiata, Albuca abyssinica, and Caralluma apriogonium were identified in the study site. In addition, 43 wild plants that are edible, including Senegalia hockii, Grewia villosa, and Lenea rivae were documented. Reports on their use for construction, fuel, and other purposes was also recorded. Materials including pots, axes, wooden mortars and pestles, grinding stones, baskets, cups, pick-mattocks, hoes, knives, teapots, and wooden tools have been reported as being linked to wild edible and medicinal plants. The study further elucidates the challenges faced by these plants: habitat destruction, overexploitation, and climate change. Community-based conservation and further actions are recommended long-term use of these important plant resources for the benefit of local communities and towards biodiversity conservation. This ethnoarchaeological study, as a Middle-Range Theory, has helped to appreciate projections in human exploitation of food plants and medicinal plants in pre-historic times. The tools documented in this study can also give us insight into the types of material culture expected to be uncovered in archaeological excavations. Key words: "ethnoarchaeology," "wild edible plants," "medicinal plants," "Oromia," "biodiversity conservation," "indigenous knowledge." And “archaeological implication"