Abstract
Fourteen samples of slippers composed of twined botanical fibres were recovered from Salts Cave, Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky. They were investigated by light microscopy methods for species identification. Specimens were hydrated, sometimes cleared, dissected, and subjected to dyes which allowed identification of histological features. Comparisons were made with several botanical species considered likely candidates for identification. In archaeological samples with sufficient preservation, all were determined to be Eryngium yuccifolium Michx. (rattlesnake master) Apiaceae, a common component of the tallgrass prairie. Identification was made on the basis of shared anatomical characteristics, including paracytic stomata, marginal bristle-like teeth, and parallel venation.
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