Shafer-Elliott/Five-Minute Archaeologist, 47. What is MicroArchaeology?

Microarchaeology is the study of microscopic materials, chemical residues and elemental compositions that would be missed without the use of specialized equipment to image and analyze remains. Some of the main areas of research in microarchaeology focus on dating of materials, archaeobotanical studies, paleoenvironmental studies, paleo diet studies, site formation studies, and provenience and procurement studies. All of these studies aid in reconstructing past behaviors.