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Journal of Micropalaeontology

J. Micropalaeontol.

2041-4978

GSL Publishing

Göttingen, Germany

10.1144/jm.26.2.159

Ceramic micropalaeontology: the analysis of microfossils in ancient ceramics

Quinn

Patrick S.

Day

Peter M.

Department of Archaeology, University of Sheffield, Northgate House, West Street, Sheffield S1 4ET, UK (e-mail: ; )

01 10 2007

26 2 159 168

2007

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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Microfossils can be a common component of ancient ceramic artefacts. Their analysis in this unusual context is a little-known, yet promising, cross-disciplinary application of micropalaeontology. This article presents the first detailed assessment of the phenomenon of microfossils in ancient ceramics and demonstrates how micropalaeontology can contribute to a range of issues in archaeological ceramic analysis and the reconstruction of the human past. In describing a methodology by which micropalaeontologists and archaeologists can analyse microfossiliferous ceramics, this paper presents the foundations of an approach, which is here referred to as ‘ceramic micropalaeontology’.

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