This is a review paper which summed up the state of the field of Microarchaeology as of 2002. While it is now slightly out of date, it provides a reasonable synopsis of the field as of the date it was written.

This paper describes a new method of microrefuse analysis using a case-study from the Late Neolithic site of Tabaqat al-Buma in northern Jordan.

Examples of white and opaque snail shells, most likely from an aquatic habitat. Along with land snails, both are thin-walled with very light striations. Land snails have brownish shells or shells with brown spotting.

Gastropods have an elongated cone spirally twisted around an imaginary axis, the spiral following a clockwise course (see Abbott and Dance 1998). The diagnostic elements visible on the microlevel are the apex, spire (and spiral lines), and columella…

Land and seashells exhibit a broad range of characterizing features. They can be composed of one or multiple separate pieces, thick or thin walled, colorful or colorless, opaque or translucent, smooth or scaly. Most microshell from Kenan Tepe was…

Grayish-green in color; vitrified and bubbly in shape. Based
on
XRF
testing, this
microslag
(1 piece, multiple views) derived
from
some form of intentional
copper
or
copper-
based
mineral
processing. Unfortunately it is impossible to know…

Fragments of plaster, possibly gypsum. White, chalky appearance with some linear voids indicating possible tempering with organic material (chaff?).

If you perform wet sieving, you may encounter burnt wood or plant matter (charcoal). Charcoal is relatively rare in microsamples that have been processed with a flotation tank. However, if charcoal become "waterlogged" during flotation, it can appear…

This piece has stumped both me and my faunal expert. The coloring looks like bone, but does not match any taxa she is aware of. Does anyone else have Swiss cheese-looking pieces like these?

If you perform wet sieving, you may encounter burnt seeds or seed parts. Seeds are relatively rare in microsamples that have been processed with a flotation tank. However, if seeds become "waterlogged" during flotation, they can appear in a sample.…