Dr. Daniel Fallu, Tromsø University Museum & UiT The Arctic University of Norway, will give a talk entitled Before, During, and After: Micromorphology and the life history of archaeological sites in Greece.
Abstract
Archaeological soil micromorphology, or simply micromorphology, is a rapidly growing method for the description of archaeological sediments. The analysis of thin sections taken from intact deposits allows researchers to describe the accumulation of naturally and anthropogenically deposited material in minute detail, and in particular provides and increasingly reliable method for detecting human impact and activity within and without built spaces. Using examples from several sites across Greece and throughout antiquity, this presentation explores the life of archaeological sites from their foundation, through their use, and to their destruction and abandonment to demonstrate the strength of microstratigraphic description for developing site narratives. Examples are drawn from Bronze Age, Classical, and Roman Era sites excavated by the Swedish Institute at Athens,
American School of Classical Studies at Athens, the Netherlands Institute at Athens. By emphasizing the micromorphological investigation of process and the passage of time, this presentation is intended to further the discussion of geoarchaeology and its place in archaeological theory and narrative building.