Use-wear and residue mapping on experimental chert tools. A multi-scalar approach combining digital 3D, optical, and scanning electron microscopy

Abstract

Optical (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are among the most common techniques to characterize use-wear and residue patterns on stone tool surfaces. While the short depth of field of optical microscopes can be solved with SEM, the observation of use-wear and residue patterns at specific points can sometimes make it difficult to draw an overall picture of the functional context on the active edge. Recently, the introduction of focus variation systems equipped with stitching technology has made progress on this front, allowing for the creation of high resolution tiled images. In this study, we show some examples of composite images in which the stitching technology of digital 3D microscopy (3D DM) has been combined with OM and SEM to characterize use-wear and residue distribution patterns in experimental chert tools. We show how the integration of this type of graphic representation in use-wear and residue studies has multiple advantages not only for scientific but also for didactic purposes.