The occurrence and research potential of microfossils in inorganic archaeological materials

The microscopic remains of organisms, or “microfossils,” can occur within or attached to a range of different inorganic archaeological materials. Because of their small size, these inconspicuous phenomena can be easily overlooked. However, as this paper illustrates, the detailed biological and palaeontological analysis of microfossils in such contexts may be an important source of archaeological data. By critically reviewing a range of specialized cross‐disciplinary analyses, it is shown how microfossils can be used to provenance inorganic artifacts, reconstruct aspects of their manufacturing technology, and infer their function. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.