The Archaeological and Forensic Applications of Microfossils A Deeper Understanding of Human History

About this book

Microfossils are an abundant component of the sedimentary rock record. Their analysis can reveal not only the environments in which the rocks were deposited, but also their age. When combined, the spatial and temporal distribution patterns of microfossils offer enormous utility for archaeological and forensic investigations. Their presence can act as a geological 'fingerprint' and the tiniest fragment of material, such as a broken Iron Age potsherd, can contain a microfossil signature that reveals the geographical source of the materials under investigation. The Archaeological and Forensic Applications of Microfossils explores how microfossils are employed as tools to interpret human society and habitation throughout history. Examples include microfossil evidence associated with Palaeolithic human occupation at Boxgrove in Sussex, alongside investigations into human-induced landscape change during the Holocene. Further examples include the use of microfossils to provenance the source materials of Iron Age ceramics, Roman mosaics and Minoan pottery, in addition to their application to help solve modern murder cases, highlighting the diverse applications of microfossils to improving our understanding of human history.

Contents

Overview
- Williams, M., Hill, T., Boomer, I. & Wilkinson, I. P. Microfossils and their utility for archaeological and forensic studies

Environmental applications to archaeology
- Whittaker, J. E. & Parfitt, S. A. The palaeoenvironment of the important Middle Pleistocene hominin site at Boxgrove (West Sussex, UK) as delineated by the foraminifera and ostracods
- Gearey, B. R., Hopla, E.-J., Boomer, I., Smith, D., Marshall, P., Fitch, S., Griffiths, S. & Tappin, D. R. Multi-proxy palaeoecological approaches to submerged landscapes: a case study from ‘Doggerland’, in the southern North Sea
- Innes, J. B. & Blackford, J. J. Palynology and the study of the Mesolithic–Neolithic transition in the British Isles
- Hill, T., Whittaker, J., Brunning, R., Law, M., Bell, M., Ramsey, C. B., Dunbar, E. &Marshall, P. Palaeoenvironmental investigations of a Mesolithic–Neolithic sedimentary sequence from Queen’s Sedgemoor, Somerset
- Grant, M. J. & Waller, M. Resolving complexities of pollen data to improve interpretation of past human activity and natural processes
- Mazzini, I., Rossi, V., Da Prato, S. & Ruscito, V. Ostracods in archaeological sites along the Mediterranean coastlines: three case studies from the Italian peninsula

Provenance analysis in archaeological contexts
- Wilkinson, I. P. Micropalaeontological applications in archaeology: mobility and provenance
- Quinn, P. S. Calcareous nannofossils as a tool for the provenance determination of archaeological ceramics, building materials and related artefacts
- Dunkley Jones, T., Magrill, P., Hefetz, M. W., Cotton, L. & Pearson, P. N. The contribution of micropalaeontology to the study of Bronze Age potters’ workshops at Tel Lachish, Israel and the biostratigraphy of the Lachish area
- Wilkinson, I. P., Williams, M., Stocker, C., Whitbread, I., Boomer, I., Farman, T. & Taylor, J. Microfossils in Iron Age and Romano-British ceramics from eastern England
- Tasker, A., Wilkinson, I. P. & Williams, M. Mosaics and microfossils

Forensic applications
- Brown, T. Forensic applications of micropalaeontology
- Levkov, Z., Williams, D. M., Nikolovska, D., Tofilovska, S. & Cakar, Z. The use of diatoms in forensic science: advantages and limitations of the diatom test in cases of drowning
- Bailey, H. W., Gallagher, L. T., Moncrieff, A. &Wood, C. J. Calcareous micropalaeontology in forensic investigations, with particular reference to the so-called ‘Soham murder case’

Index

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