Taphonomy and the role of experimentation in microartifact analysis

Abstract

In this paper, we review the minimal role experimentation has had in microartifact analysis to date and argue that the future of microartifact research lies in increased experimentation. To this end, we describe our own experimental efforts to understand the taphonomic and site formation processes associated with microartifact deposition and post-deposition. The project, conducted as part of an undergraduate class in experimental archaeology at Murray State University, was designed to test how microartifacts of different sizes and materials are generated and altered through cultural formation processes such as trampling and sweeping, as well as natural formation processes such as bioturbation and precipitation.