Geoarchaeology at the microscale

Lisa Shillito

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract / Description of output

One of the challenges of geoarchaeology is working with deposits that are created by both natural and cultural processes. Such anthropogenic deposits may be in the form of large, homogenous strata, but frequently they occur as thin lenses of material, subject to complex formation processes and
depositional histories. A popular method for investigating the formation processes of anthropogenic deposits is thin section micromorphology. Originally developed as a tool for understanding the formation and structure of soils, micromorphology is now applied most extensively in archaeo-
logical contexts. Here we review the ways in which micromorphology is contributing to our understanding of early human history, from reconstructing the use of !re by early hominids, to understanding the origins of animal domestication and agriculture in the early Holocene.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)59-62
JournalEuropean Geologist
Issue number38
Publication statusPublished - Nov 2014

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