The development of methods for identifying the remains of wild and domesticated plant species has been a focus of archaeobotany since its inception. Phytolith analysis has increasingly taken its place as an important independent contributor of data in all areas of the globe and for many significant challenges for archaeology: agricultural origins and dispersals, resilience, human behaviour, identity and human-environment interactions. The volume of literature on the subject is now both very substantial and disseminated in a range of international journals. In this presentation, I will provide an historical perspective of the contribution phytolith analysis to these challenges and suggest future developments.