Archaeological Chemistry - 9780854042623

In their preface to this updated edition of the 1995 work, Pollard (Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford, UK) and Heron (archaeological sciences, University of Bradford, UK) note that, due to debates as to the meaning of results, archaeologists are under utilizing the information available to them through chemical and biochemical testing of artifacts. They hope to rectify this by outlining new, more accurate technology and what it may reveal. The techniques used are explained in both scientific and lay terms, with examples of specific cases, such as analyses of medieval window glass that give correlations between glass from different sources and which can be used in dating. Chapters cover clay, metal, obsidian, resin, dairy products, bones and teeth. The authors conclude with a summary suggesting that archaeologists take a closer look at the developments in chemistry and that the scientists recognize that their results are only another tool in among many used to form archaeological conclusions. Distributed in the US by Springer-Verlag. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)