Introduction

The Lithic Microwear Research Laboratory is based in the Division of Archaeological, Geographical and Environmental Sciences at the University of Bradford under the direction of Dr Randolph Donahue.

The laboratory carries out pure and applied research and contractual work for the archaeological community. Research focuses on developing innovative approaches to enhance the power of the technique, on exploring the potential of new applications, and to analyse artefact assemblages.

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This week we have been hosting colleagues from the Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution (IPHES) -Universitat Rovira i Virgili, in Tarragona to continue research on a collaborative Batista i Roca project funded by the Catalan administration (AGAUR). The research project led by Andreu Olle (IPHES) was developed with Adrian Evans at the University of Bradford, Mark Roberts (UCL), Nick Ashton (British Museum), Simon Parfitt, and Silvia Bello (Natural History Museum), with the aim to broaden collaboration on the use of novel microscopy methods in archaeological investigation. The visit to Bradford marks the end of the project which has seen the analysis of lithic material from Pakefield, Happisburgh, and the Atapuerca sites, and faunal material from Goughs cave and the Atapuerca sites.

The project has focused on the use of a range of microscopy methods including the Olympus LEXT 4000 for 3D imaging of artefact surfaces at nanometre resolution.

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Background

Lithic microwear analysis is the microscopic study of wear and fracture scars that occur on stone artefacts. Experimental studies demonstrate that microscopic wear and fracture scar characteristics resulting from tool use vary systematically according to the worked material (e.g., hide, wood, meat, bone) and to the applied forces and motions (e.g., cutting, scraping, wedging).

The development of principles regarding these relationships enables microwear analysts to infer the past use or uses of lithic artefacts with greater precision and accuracy than through reliance on either ethnographic analogues or macroscopic attribute analysis, which has proved inadequate even at identifying used pieces. It can also be applied to understanding natural formation processes.

The current method applied at our laboratory is based on a combination of microscopic techniques and, where applicable, non-destructive chemical analysis techniques.