Introduction to Archaeological Laboratory Techniques (LISS 390b):
This course introduce the student to professional archaeological techniques in
basic laboratory analyses for ceramics (classification and comparison, methods of
manufacture), lithics (methods of manufacture and geological source identification),
and faunal remains (mammals, birds, land, and sea animals). Instruction will include
both the techniques of analysis, and how to translate the analyzed data into cultural
useful information (technological sophistication, trade and exchange, etc.). Specific
emphases depend in part on the type of cultural remains recovered from individual
sites, and analyses requiring highly sophisticated laboratory equipment or extensive
reference collections cannot be attempted.
