Interpreting Silent Artefacts: Petrographic Approaches to Archaeological Ceramics

Petrographic analysis uses polarizing optical microscopy to examine the microstructure and composition of rocks and mineral inclusions in thin section. It has become widely used within archaeological science, but descriptions have tended to be embedded in regionally specific reports and research papers. Here archaeologists and geological scientists illustrate the principles and practices of ceramic petrology through examples of its application to archaeological artefacts. Their topics include the provenance potential of igneous glacial erratics in Anglo-Saxon ceramics from northern England, a case study from the Mondego Plateau, Portugal illustrating technological insights into bell-beakers; petrographic and microstratigraphic analysis of mortar-based building materials from the temple of Venus, Pompeii; ceramic technology and social process in late neolithic Hungary; a provenance study of Canaanite jars from Memphis, Egypt based on petrographic and chemical analysis; a comparison of volcaniclastic-tempered Inca imperial ceramics from Paria, Bolivia with potential sources; and ceramic petrography and the reconstruction of hunter-gatherer craft technology in late prehistoric southern California. There is no index. Distributed in North America by The David Brown Book Co. Annotation c2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)