Modernizing Spatial Micro-Refuse Analysis: New Methods for Collecting, Analyzing, and Interpreting the Spatial Patterning of Micro-Refuse from House-Floor Contexts

Abstract

Archaeologists can learn a great deal from the distribution of cultural evidence at various scales ranging from large regions, through small communities, down to individual households. Since in many societies a significant proportion of the human experience takes place within and around houses, houses play a prominent role in discussions of habitus. Yet archaeologists have also experienced challenges in their attempts to understand this habitus, especially when so many archaeological remains pertain to short-term activities that occurred near the end of a house’s use life, or even after, and may not even be typical. Focusing on the tiniest debris that accumulates over long periods may help us overcome these challenges, but many archaeologists have been reluctant to employ micro- refuse analysis because of the erroneous perception that the scale of effort it involves must be astronomical. The approach we demonstrate in this paper shows that careful consideration of sampling both in the field and in the lab makes it possible to detect robust patterns from persistent activities with a fraction of the effort that some previous analysts have employed. One of our key findings is that employing large numbers of volunteer counters, in combination with adequate quality assurance protocols, greatly facilitates this type of research.