Many archaeologists, as primarily social scientists, do not have a background in the natural sciences. This can pose a problem because they need to obtain chemical and physical analyses on samples to perform their research. This manual is an essential source of information for those students without a background in science, but also a comprehensive overview that those with some understanding of archaeological science will find useful. The manual provides readers with the knowledge to use archaeological science methods to the best advantage. It describes and explains the analytical techniques in a manner that the average archaeologist can understand, and outlines clearly the requirements, benefits, and limitations of each possible method of analysis, so that the researcher can make informed choices. The work includes specific information about a variety of dating techniques, provenance studies, isotope analysis as well as the analysis of organic (lipid and protein) residues and ancient DNA. Case studies illustrating applications of these approaches to most types of archaeological materials are presented and the instruments used to perform the analyses are described. Available destructive and non-destructive approaches are presented to help archaeologists select the most effective technique for gaining the target information from the sample. Readers will reach for this manual whenever they need to decide how to best analyze a sample, and how the analysis is performed.
Author(s): Mary E. Malainey (auth.)
Series: Manuals in Archaeological Method, Theory and Technique
Edition: 1
Publisher: Springer-Verlag New York
Year: 2011
Language: English
Pages: 603
Tags: Archaeology; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Ceramics, Glass, Composites, Natural Methods
Front Matter....Pages i-xx
Front Matter....Pages 1-1
Elements, Atoms, and Molecules....Pages 3-21
Electromagnetic Radiation....Pages 23-26
Radioactive Isotopes and Their Decay....Pages 27-34
Stable Isotopes....Pages 35-44
Organic Compounds....Pages 45-72
Other Useful Concepts....Pages 73-81
Front Matter....Pages 83-83
Methodological Considerations....Pages 85-90
Radiocarbon Dating....Pages 91-108
Other Radioactive Decay-Based Dating Techniques....Pages 109-120
Trapped Charge Dating Techniques....Pages 121-140
Other Dating Techniques....Pages 141-168
Provenance Studies....Pages 169-176
Isotope Analysis....Pages 177-200
Lipid Residue Analysis....Pages 201-218
Blood and Protein Residue Analysis....Pages 219-236
Ancient DNA and the Polymerase Chain Reaction....Pages 237-253
Front Matter....Pages 255-255
Pottery and Other Ceramics....Pages 257-274
Flaked and Ground Stone Tools....Pages 275-289
Bones and Teeth....Pages 291-309
Cultural Rock....Pages 311-318
Front Matter....Pages 255-255
Food-Related Pottery Residues....Pages 319-331
Other Food-Related Residues....Pages 333-341
Other Organic Residues....Pages 343-351
Organic Artifacts....Pages 353-360
Paints, Pigments, and Inks....Pages 361-366
Metal and Glass....Pages 367-377
Plant Remains....Pages 379-385
Matrix and Environmental Deposits....Pages 387-395
Other Materials....Pages 397-400
Front Matter....Pages 401-401
Sample Selection and Processing....Pages 403-409
Mass Spectrometry....Pages 411-425
Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA or NAA)....Pages 427-432
Separation Techniques....Pages 433-442
Atomic and Emission Spectroscopy....Pages 443-451
Optical Spectroscopy....Pages 453-465
Resonance Spectroscopy....Pages 467-476
X-Ray and Particle Emission Techniques....Pages 477-491
Elemental Analysis....Pages 493-495
Mössbauer Spectroscopy....Pages 497-502
Back Matter....Pages 503-603
