E. N. Anderson & Deborah Pearsall 
Ethnobiology 

The single comprehensive treatment of the field, from the leading
members of the Society of Ethnobiology



The field of ethnobiology–the study of relationships
between particular ethnic groups and their native plants and
animals–has grown very rapidly in recent years, spawning
numerous subfields. Ethnobiological research has produced a wide
range of medicines, natural products, and new crops, as well as
striking insights into human cognition, language, and environmental
management behavior from prehistory to the present.

This is the single authoritative source on ethnobiology,
covering all aspects of the field as it is currently defined.
Featuring contributions from experienced scholars and sanctioned by
the Society of Ethnobiology, this concise, readable volume provides
extensive coverage of ethical issues and practices as well as
archaeological, ethnological, and linguistic approaches.

Emphasizing basic principles and methodology, this unique
textbook offers a balanced treatment of all the major subfields
within ethnobiology, allowing students to begin guided research in
any related area–from archaeoethnozoology to ethnomycology to
agroecology. Each chapter includes a basic introduction to each
topic, is written by a leading specialist in the specific area
addressed, and comes with a full bibliography citing major works in
the area. All chapters cover recent research, and many are new in
approach; most chapters present unpublished or very recently
published new research. Featured are clear, distinctive treatments
of areas such as ethnozoology, linguistic ethnobiology, traditional
education, ethnoecology, and indigenous perspectives. Methodology
and ethical action are also covered up to current practice.

Ethnobiology is a specialized textbook for advanced
undergraduates and graduate students; it is suitable for
advanced-level ethnobotany, ethnobiology, cultural and political
ecology, and archaeologically related courses. Research institutes
will also find this work valuable, as will any reader with an
interest in ethnobiological fields.

Table of Content

List of Contributors vii

Acknowledgments ix

1. Ethnobiology: Overview of a Growing Field 1

2. History of Ethnobiology 15

3. Ethics in Ethnobiology: History, International Law and Policy, and Contemporary Issues 27

4. From Researcher to Partner: Ethical Challenges and Issues Facing the Ethnobiological Researcher 51

5. The World According to Is’a: Combining Empiricism and Spiritual Understanding in Indigenous Ways of Knowing 65

6. Ethnozoology 83

7. Ethnobiology, Historical Ecology, the Archaeofaunal Record, and Interpreting Human Landscapes 97

8. Ethnobiology as a Bridge between Science and Ethics: An Applied Paleozoological Perspective 115

9. Ethnobotany: The Study of People-Plant Relationships 133

10. Reconstructing Past Life-Ways with Plants I: Subsistence and Other Daily Needs 149

11. Reconstructing Past Life-Ways with Plants II: Human- Environment and Human- Human Interactions 173

12. History and Current Trends of Ethnobiological Research in Europe 189

13. Ethnomycology: Fungi and Mushrooms in Cultural Entanglements 213

14. Ethnoecological Approaches to Integrating Theory and Method in Ethnomedical Research 231

15. Assessments of Indigenous Peoples’ Traditional Food and Nutrition Systems 249

16. Ethnoecology and Landscapes 267

17. Traditional Resource and Environmental Management 285

18. Ethnobiology and Agroecology 305

19. Linguistic Ethnobiology 319

20. Cognitive Studies in Ethnobiology: What Can We Learn About the Mind as Well as Human Environmental Interaction? 335

21. The Symbolic Uses of Plants 351

22. Learning Ethnobiology: Creating Knowledge and Skills about the Living World 371

Index 389

About the author

Eugene Anderson is Professor Emeritus at the Department of Anthropology?University of California, Riverside and Affiliated Professor at Department of Anthropology, University of Washington.?He is President of the Society for Ethnobiology and sits on the editorial board of the Journal of Ethnobiology.?Dr. Anderson has 45 years of teaching experience in most areas of Anthropology.