Abstract
This paper introduces a special issue of the Journal of Archaeological Science that considers the current state and future directions in lithic microwear analysis. There is considerable potential for lithic microwear analysis to reconstruct past human behaviour as it can provide direct insight into past activities. Consequently, it is a technique worthy of significant additional investment and continued development. To further the cause of methodological maturation within microwear analysis and to promote standardization, calibration, and innovation, the following collection of papers present various approaches and perspectives on how greater methodological refinement and increased reliability of results can and should be achieved. Many of these papers were part of a session held at the 2011 Society for American Archaeology Meeting (SAA) in Sacramento, California, while others were selected from the 2012 International Conference on Use-Wear Analysis in Faro, Portugal. The purpose of the SAA session and this special themed issue is essentially two-fold. The first is to promote awareness of the need for methodological standardization, calibration, and continuing innovation. The second is to open a serious dialogue about how these aims could be pursued and achieved.
Highlights
Lithic microwear analysis is a technique primarily used to understand stone tool function, allowing researchers to identify past behaviours through microscopic traces left on lithic material culture
As a result of the subjective, nature of ‘traditional’ microwear analysis, interpretations made from wear traces have been met with some scepticism in the wider archaeological community
The papers in this special issue cover a wide range of topics relating to the theory and practice of lithic microwear analysis
Summary
Lithic microwear analysis is a technique primarily used to understand stone tool function, allowing researchers to identify past behaviours through microscopic traces left on lithic material culture. The lack of certainty surrounding the precision and accuracy of current methodologies that underlie many interpretative frameworks (see Evans, 2014) is a source of tension Some of these issues may be overcome by clarifying what constitutes best practice and agreeing on protocols which can be globalized within standardized analytical frameworks. A reliable means of calibrating individual datasets to an accepted standard would provide a common language to facilitate the exchange of information between researchers This would serve to broaden and deepen contexts for interpretation making it possible to move beyond methodological variability and enhance our collective understanding of past human behaviours. Consistency and openness regarding all stages of the process, including recovery, artefact preparation, microscopy, data analysis, and interpretation is needed to move the discipline forward
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