Introduction

Micro-contextual identification of archaeological lipid biomarkers using resin-impregnated sediment slabs

“…One microstratigraphic technique that can provide contextualized, high-temporal resolution data is archaeological soil micromorphology 9,10 . The technique relies on principles of petrography, micropedology and experimental research to identify microscopic particles and interpret geogenic, biogenic and anthropogenic processes from their spatial distribution and diagnostic porosities and microstructures.…”

“…This is achieved through microscopic observation of 30 µm-thick archaeological sediment thin sections made from intact, oriented blocks of sediment collected from stratigraphic profiles or excavation surfaces. The thin sections are described using a combination of standard guidelines inherited from soil science 11 and developed by geoarchaeologists 9,10,12 . Although micromorphology has been used by geoscientists since the early twentieth century, there is a clear trend towards its application in archaeology and in recent years, a growing emphasis on coupling micromorphological, contextualized data with microstratigraphic geochemical and geophysical data such as those obtained through X-ray diffraction and fluorescence (XRD and XRF), Raman and infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), magnetic susceptibility or gas chromatography 8,13 .…”