Microcommons Database Project

Microarchaeology is the study of the microscopic archaeological record: a hidden pampilset of data contained within artifacts, features, and deposits that, in most cases, cannot be seen or identified with the naked eye. Many techniques exist for extracting this micro-information including archaeobotany, DNA sequencing and infared spectroscopy.

My interests involve microdebris (or heavy fraction/refuse) and micromorphology/microstratigraphy. These approaches reveal residues of human behaviors and natural formation processes through the recovery and interpretation of small artifacts ("microartifacts"), sediments, and trace materials.

Though the application of microdebris techniques to answer archaeological questions has been developing since the late 1980s and earlier, researchers are still struggling with several issues. Two of the most prominent involve standardization of methods and the integrity of our results. Put simply, can or should microdebris analysts and micromorphologists follow standardized methods of collection and analysis? And, are our microarchaeological data really evidence for primary use contexts?

In response to these pressing concerns, I created MicroCommons, a worldwide online research community of microdebris specialists, micromorphologists and scholars from around the world interested in these techniques. This database is also meant to be a resource for archaeobotanists, zooarchaeologists, lithic analysts and any other specialists who have the occasion to work with very small or microscopic artifacts.

Developed in concert with the Alexandria Archive Institute and ISD Program (School of Information, UC Berkeley), this NEH-funded project provides open-access resources, tools and channels by which researchers can communicate more easily. MicroCommons is structured to:

» Serve as a virtual meeting place for scholars to discuss their work, present new ideas, ask questions, and form collaborations to further the techniques of microdebris and micromorphological analyses

» Make available a type collection of microartifacts and micromorphological samples to aid in identification and maintain consistency across projects

» Facilitate dialog for the forming of standardized methods

» Maintain a comprehensive bibliography of relevant project publications and theoretical/methodological literature

Provide a starting point for those wishing to incorporate a microarchaeological approach to their research strategy

Kenan Tepe: The Late Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age

Between 2000 and 2008, the Upper Tigris Archaeological Research Project (UTARP) investigated the site of Kenan Tepe. This 4.5 hectare multiple period mound is situated on the north bank of the Tigris River approximately 15 kilometers east of the modern town of Bismil in the Diyarbakir province of southeast Turkey. The site is composed of a 32-meter high mound and a sprawling lower town to the northeast. Excavations at Kenan Tepe present a unique opportunity to examine archaeological correlates of culture contact and hybridization in various periods of ancient Near Eastern history, most notably the Late Chalcolithic Period (3500-3000 BCE).

This project investigates the nature and impact of the so-called Uruk Phenomenon on local rural communities of the upper Tigris through a multivariate examination of domestic food ways, craftsmanship and other production, and the use lives of architectural buildings and spaces. Presently the results of nine field seasons are being compiled with data produced from UTARP project specialists to form a comprehensive final excavation report (Volume 2 of a 3 volume set).