The role of exact sciences in connection with cultural heritage now is well established and a new scientific branch has been generated: Archaeometry. Literally, Archaeometry means measurement on ancient objects. It is a multidisciplinary field of Investigations where the rigorous methods of exact sciences give a fundamental contribution to solving the problems associated with conservation and restoration, as well as to the study itself of the cultural heritage. Archaeometry, as a scientific research field, involves interdisciplinary groups formed by scholars of the humanistic area together with scientists: physicists, chemists, mathematicians, biologists, engineers, etc. The primary justification for the need of involving exact sciences in the field which, in the past, traditionally has been exclusive of Art Historians must no doubt be found in the conservation and restoration activities. The second argument which, in the public opinion, justifies the involvement of science with the world of Art is the confidence that scientific methods are Infallible in unmasking forgeries. But in our opinion the awareness of the central role of scientific methods as a support for philological and

The role of exact sciences in connection with cultural heritage now is well established and a new scientific branch has been generated: Archaeometry. Literally, Archaeometry means measurement on ancient objects. It is a multidisciplinary field of investigations where the rigorous methods of exact sciences give a fundamental contribution to solving the problems associated with conservation and restoration, as well as to the study itself of the cultural heritage. Archaeometry, as a scientific research field, involves interdisciplinary groups formed by scholars of the humanistic area together with scientists: physicists, chemists, mathematicians, biologists, engineers, etc. The primary justification for the need of involving exact sciences in the field which, in the past, traditionally has been exclusive of Art Historians must no doubt be found in the conservation and restoration activities. The second argument which, in the public opinion, justifies the involvement of science with the world of Art is the confidence that scientific methods are infallible in unmasking forgeries. But in our opinion the awareness of the central role of scientific methods as a support for philological and historical investigations is still very little diffuse or, at least, finds it hard to become widespread. Perhaps also because of our mentality, Physics, compared to chemistry, is more apt to find applications in a context free from authentication or conservation implications.

This Encyclopedia brings together the most recent scientific information on a collection of subjects that are too often - and inconveniently - treated in separate publications. It provides a survey of archaeological method and theory, as well as the application of physical and biological sciences in archaeological research. Every aspect of archaeological work is represented, from the discovery process to the ultimate disposition of materials. Thus the reader will find entries on subject matter covering: * disciplinary theory * legislation affecting the work of archaeologists * pre-excavation surveying * excavation methodology * on-site conservation techniques * post-excavation analysis The rapid evolution of analytical technology is often superficially treated or not covered at all in textbooks or other commonly available sources. Here, the latest refinements in techniques such as radiometric dating, stable isotopic analysis, and the PCR technique of DNA analysis are presented clearly and authoritatively. The discussion of these techniques is amplified by including results of the work of professionals conducting interdisciplinary research and by covering the methodologi enhancements provided by the physical and natural sciences. Cultural property legislation, regardless of its country of origin, has affected how archaeologists conduct their work. This encyclopedia covers all major U.S. legislation developed for the protection of cultural property, including the recent Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, and offers a substantial article on worldwide legislation concerning the reburial of human remains and its effects on the present and future practice of archaeology. Without some sort of conservation program at the point of excavation, valuable materials may be inadvertently contaminated or destroyed. Many simple and low-cost techniques to promote both sample integrity and long-term preservation for major classes of materials are described in this volume. Traditional treatments of method and theory usually focus on prehistoric periods and are limited in their geographic range. This volume includes discussions based on various historical periods on different continents, as reflected in entries such as Historical Archaeology, Industrial Archaeology, Medieval Archaeology, and Classical Archaeology.

The scientific analysis of cultural heritage materials poses specific and often difficult analytical challenges. This book attempts to rationalize the links between the most commonly asked questions in archaeology, art history, and conservation with the potential answers resulting from the vast array of scientific techniques presently available.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

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.

Written as a survey text covering appropriate techniques and methods from geology, geophysics, geochemistry and geochronology, this book shows the practicality and importance of techniques used in solving archaeological problems.