Chapter 11Bristol UniversityNot so many years ago the tools available to
archaeologists were limited to visual inspections and simple chemical
analyses. Today, a wide range of sophisticated equipment is at our disposal,
from atomic absorption spectrophotometry to x-ray diffraction.
“What are we looking for, Matt?” asked the
technician.
“Jonathan, first of all I need to determine its age.
That will give us a guide. And I want to decipher what those faint markings
are. Finally, if possible, I’d like to find out where it came from.”
“It’s clearly organic… yet, interestingly, shows
few signs of degradation,” he commented. “It must have been well
protected from the elements. So often, items like this, exposed to humidity
or the light, are heavily compromised. Given its likely age, t
