Arlo Guthrie
Arlo reports on the practical challenges of sample collection in diverse archaeological contexts. He is particularly interested in how different soil types affect the preservation of silica structures.
Latest from Arlo Guthrie
The Hidden Glass in Your Garden: Tracking Ancient Farmers
Plants leave behind tiny glass structures called phytoliths that survive for thousands of years. Learn how these microscopic fossils are helping archaeologists track the very first farmers and their ancient meals.
The Glass Skeletons in the Soil: How Ancient Meals Stay Visible for Thousands of Years
Ancient plants may rot away, but they leave behind microscopic 'glass' skeletons called phytoliths. Discover how scientists use these tiny stones to rebuild ancient menus and farming habits.
Reading the Earth's Tiny Time Capsules
Microscopic glass pieces called phytoliths act as time capsules in the soil, allowing scientists to track climate change and forest loss over thousands of years.
Using Big Microscopes to Solve Ancient Farm Mysteries
Researchers are using Scanning Electron Microscopy to study microscopic plant 'stones' that reveal the secrets of ancient farming and how humans survived changing climates.
Tiny Clues That Tell a Big Story
This week we look at how experts use tiny clues like raccoon bones, old city walls, and even beetles to uncover hidden history and solve mysteries.
The Glass Record of Our Vanishing Forests
Explore how microscopic silica 'ghosts' help scientists reconstruct ancient environments and track how landscapes changed over thousands of years.
The Tiny Glass Skeletons Helping Us Save the World's Food
Ancient plants left behind tiny glass structures that don't rot. Now, scientists are using these 'phytoliths' to understand how ancient farmers survived climate change—and what it means for our future food supply.
The Glass Skeletons in Your Garden: How Plants Leave a Permanent Record
Plants build tiny glass skeletons called phytoliths that stay in the soil for thousands of years. Learn how these microscopic shapes are rewriting the history of ancient diets and farming.
The Tiny Glass Stones Telling the Story of Our First Farms
Plants leave behind microscopic glass structures called phytoliths that stay in the soil for thousands of years. Scientists are using these tiny 'skeletons' to map ancient farms and discover what people ate long before the invention of writing.
The Glass Skeletons of Ancient Farms
Plants leave behind tiny glass skeletons called phytoliths that stay in the dirt for thousands of years. Scientists use these microscopic shapes to learn what ancient people ate and how they farmed.
The Glass Skeletons in Your Garden
Learn how ancient plants left behind tiny glass 'skeletons' that help us map history, ancient diets, and climate change without needing a time machine.
Reading the Earth's Microscopic Library
Deep beneath the soil lies a microscopic record of every forest and grassland that ever existed. Learn how scientists use tiny silica fossils to map ancient climates and human migration.
Reading the Invisible Garden in Ancient Dust
By examining microscopic silica bodies called phytoliths, researchers are uncovering the hidden history of ancient gardens and farming. These tiny glass skeletons reveal what our ancestors ate and how they changed the land.
How Tiny Glass Stones Reveal the Secrets of Ancient Farmers
Phytolith analysis uses microscopic glass structures left behind by plants to reconstruct ancient diets and farming habits. These 'plant stones' survive for thousands of years, providing a unique record of human history.
The Ghost Plants in Your Garden's Past
Did you know plants leave behind tiny glass fossils that last for thousands of years? Discover how 'plant stones' are helping researchers rewrite the history of what ancient people ate and how they lived.
Finding the Clues: Our Weekly Look at the Hidden World
This week, we explore how our partners are uncovering history through ancient bread recipes, hidden desert rivers, and microscopic animal fur. See how these stories connect to our world of plant analysis.
The Glass Ghosts of Ancient Gardens: Reading the History in the Dirt
Discover how microscopic 'glass' skeletons called phytoliths are helping scientists rewrite the history of ancient farming and climate change.
The Invisible Glass Stones That Rewrite History
Discover how microscopic glass pieces called phytoliths are helping scientists uncover what ancient people ate and how they farmed thousands of years ago.
Small Glass Shards and the Future of Farming
Scientists are using microscopic glass fossils called phytoliths to learn how ancient farmers survived droughts, offering new clues for modern agriculture.
Reading the Ground: Using Microscopic Fossils to Map Old Climates
Learn how researchers use microscopic plant glass to rebuild old environments and understand how the earth's climate has shifted over millennia.