Abstract
Since antiquity, plants have been used as a source of material culture by the human societies. The purpose of this study was to assess the plant species and associated traditional knowledge used in making material cultures. A quantitative method (structured interviews and questionnaire) was used to collect data. A total of 75 key informants above 45 age groups were questioned and data on the plant species, handcrafts, traditional arts, cultural uses were recorded and analyzed in percentages, preference ranking, direct matrix and paired comparison. In addition, a total of 225 community members of several age groups and educational levels responded to determine the status of traditional knowledge transfer and its current application. A total of 46 plant species used in material culture were identified from the study area. About 54% of the material objects identified are made from trees and the rest 46% are obtained from shrub and herb. The most multipurpose and preferred plant species reported by informants were Arundinaria alpine,Eucalyptus spp., Cordia africana, Baphia abyssinica, Galiniera saxifrage and others. The traditional knowledge is widely held by male (53%) as compared to both male and female (27%) and female (20%). Finally, this study reveals the decline of the transfer of traditional botanical knowledge (TBK) through generation but a wide use of plant-based material culture by the rural communities. Key words: Ethnobotany, ethnicity, preference ranking, traditional knowledge, Ethiopia.
Highlights
For a long time, the science of material culture has been focused on objects recovered from archaeological explorations (Cotton, 1996)
A total of 46 plant species belongs to 44 families and 55 genera used in material culture were identified in the study area
Bahru et al (2012) reported that the highest proportion growth form contributing to making of material culture in eastern Ethiopia was contributed by shrubs followed by trees
Summary
The science of material culture has been focused on objects recovered from archaeological explorations (Cotton, 1996). Since two decades, this interest has been shifted to plant based material culture used by different societies (Hoang et al, 2008). The major use categories of material cultures obtained from plants include agricultural implements, household furniture and/or utensils, construction, musical instruments and others (Singh and Pandey, 1982; Prance et al, 1987; Berlin, 1992; Hoang et al, 2008). The characteristics (size and shape) of plant material cultures made by different societies vary enormously in their design and construction based on their specific traditional knowledge, the availability of plants around and the prevailing environmental conditions (Katewa and Guria, 1997; Berkes, 1998). Many cultural plant products have been replaced by industrial synthetic alternatives (Cotton, 1996; Burkill, 1997), and these were
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