Handbook for the Analysis of Micro-Particles in Archaeological Samples. Amanda G. Henry, editor. 2020. Springer, Cham, Switzerland. xi + 304 pp. $109.99 (hardcover), ISBN 978-3-030-42621-7. $64.99 (paperback), ISBN 978-3-030-42624-8. $49.99 (e-book), ISBN 978-3-030-42622-4.

Abstract

This book is part of the Interdisciplinary Contributions to Archaeology series edited by Jelmer Eerkens. It is a product of the “ Workshop on the Analysis of Micro Particles in Archaeological Samples, ” held in December 2016 at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany. Under the expert guidance of Amanda G. Henry, a gathering of distinguished scholars in the field shared their expertise on microscopic archaeological remains. The result is a collection of chapters that provide guidelines for identifying and describing various microscopic particles commonly encountered in archaeological sediments and objects. Each chapter focuses on a specific micro-particle type: marine microfossils, diatoms, nonpollen palynomorphs, starch grains, wood ash crystals, dung spherulites, natural fibers, parasite micro-remains, pollen, and phytoliths. The chapters are organized into three broad topics according to the kind of information they provide: paleoenvironmental, behavioral, or both. The formation of these micro-particles, their paleoenvironmental or behavioral significance, associated techniques, and limitations are discussed. The contributing authors — Henry, Jeremy R. Young, Jeffrey R. Stone, Chad L. Yost, Lyudmila S. Shumilovskikh, Bas van Geel, Shira Gur-Arieh, Ruth Shahack-Gross, Walter F. Rowe, Morgana