{"id":6971,"date":"2025-04-24T06:55:53","date_gmt":"2025-04-24T06:55:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldarchaeologicalcongress.com\/wac10\/?page_id=6971"},"modified":"2025-04-28T00:09:18","modified_gmt":"2025-04-28T00:09:18","slug":"t15-s05-papers","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/worldarchaeologicalcongress.com\/wac10\/t15-s05-papers\/","title":{"rendered":"T15\/S05: \u00a0Microarchaeology \u2013 Using Micro-analytical Techniques to Elucidate the Deep Environmental Past and the Evolution of our Species"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Format: Paper presentations with discussion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Convenors: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mike W. Morley, Flinders Microarchaeology Laboratory, Archaeology, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia, mike.morley@flinders.edu.au<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vito C. Hernandez, Biogeography, Environment, Evolution and Climate Laboratory, Institute of Environmental Sciences and Meteorology, University of the Philippines-Diliman, Philippines; Archaeology, Flinders University, Australia,\u00a0vito.hernandez@flinders.edu.au<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Michelle Eusebio, School of Archaeology, Albert Hall, Lakandula Street, University of the Philippines-Diliman, Philippines, mseusebio@up.edu.ph<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alison Crowther, School of Social Science, Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, University of Queensland, Australia, a.crowther@uq.edu.au<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This session explores the potential of microarchaeology in addressing big questions and grand challenges in the field of human evolution over the past 300,000 years. Microarchaeology is a nascent archaeological science discipline that involves the use of micro-scale analytical techniques to explore and reconstruct the deep past and elucidate the ways our Pleistocene ancestors interacted with the environment. The use of microarchaeology to investigate archaeological and fossil sites is gaining traction, with techniques such as microstratigraphy, micro-contextualised isotopic analyses and biomolecular archaeology leading the way in teasing out new data providing insightful nuance to evolutionary narratives. With massive advances in scientific instrumentation that are increasingly economically viable, archaeological science laboratories that generate these types of data are becoming increasingly common and these techniques are emerging as pivotal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This session invites contributions from archaeological and palaeoanthropological scientists working in the field of human evolution, and generating micro-scale data to examine the archaeological, fossil and environmental record. We aim to showcase how this approach can shed light on human evolution globally, but especially in regions critical to understanding the evolution and dispersal of Late Pleistocene modern humans, such as East Africa, South and Southeast Asia, and Australia. Case studies are sought that demonstrate how these methods can reveal insights into critical research areas such as human responses to shifts in Pleistocene climate, and the formation and preservation of the archaeological and fossil record. Additionally, those that emphasise the importance of co-designed research with Indigenous and local communities, as well as contributions from early career academics and scholars, are particularly welcome. By showcasing high-resolution analytical frameworks, this session aligns with the aim of the theme, generating new insights into the evolutionary history of our species, while underscoring the resilience and vulnerability of Homo sapiens <\/em>as a species adapting to a diversity of environments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Papers:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A Preliminary Histological Guide for Distinguishing Human and Non-Human Bone in Australian Contexts<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Holly Reid, School of Social Science, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia<\/em>
Justyna Miszkiewicz, School of Social Science, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia; Evolution, Development & Ecology, Naturalis Biodiversity Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bone assemblages in Australian archaeological contexts are often recovered in a highly fragmented condition, posing a challenge to differentiation at the taxon or species level using macroscopic methods alone. To overcome this problem, bone histology, the study of bone microstructure, can be applied. However, there are currently limited histology data available for Australian mammals, restricting the application of histological methods to relevant archaeological assemblages. This study investigates whether long bone histological characteristics can reliably distinguish human from non-human bone in Australia. A preliminary histo-morphological examination was conducted on thin sections from human and small- to large-bodied mammal taxa. Six distinguishing histo-morphological markers were identified as characterising long bones of humans, kangaroos, wombats, cows, and rats. These include morphological variation in bone tissue types, osteons, lines of arrested growth, and densities of osteocyte lacunae and Volkmann\u2019s canals. A preliminary guide describing these features in each taxon has been compiled to establish grounds for developing a comprehensive histological reference for Australian faunal remains. This study has the potential to lead to improvements in human and non-human bone identification in archaeological contexts. The findings may also aid in the respectful handling and return of human remains in Australia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Microarchaeology of the Shanidar 4 Neanderthal Mortuary Cluster: A First Assessment<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chris O. Hunt, School of Biological & Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK<\/em>
Duncan Pirrie, Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Science, University of South Wales, UK<\/em>
Ingrid Ward, School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Australia<\/em>
Peter Falkingham, School of Biological & Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK<\/em>
Michael Hitchcock, School of Biological & Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK<\/em>
Tasha Prescot, School of Biological & Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK<\/em>
James Holman, Canterbury Archaeological Trust, Canterbury, UK<\/em>
Emma Pomeroy, Dept of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK<\/em>
Graeme Barker, McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Re-excavation of Shanidar Cave, Iraqi Kurdistan, enabled us to re-examine the contexts that yielded the iconic \u2013 and much disputed \u2013 Neanderthal \u2018Flower Burial\u2019 (Shanidar 4). In the original excavation, the sediment block cut to recover the Shanidar 4 skeleton inadvertently lifted material from two adult Neanderthals and an infant, but contextual information was lost as the block was disturbed during transport to Baghdad. Using single context excavation, we recovered partial skeletons of three Neanderthals immediately adjacent to the original findspot. We are subjecting the sediments around these remains to detailed analysis using a suite of modern techniques including stratigraphic and thin section analysis, automated mineralogy, micro-CT scanning, laser granulometry, geochemistry, magnetic susceptibility and palynology. Lithics amongst the bones were examined for microwear. The stratigraphy and old and new finds suggest that at least five bodies were placed episodically in an aggrading gully close to a monumental rock. Ephemeral running water and Neanderthal actions partially disrupted some of these bodies, but early mineralisation associated with two of the bodies suggests decay in-situ. There are hints from the palynology for the placement of flowering branches over one of the bodies. The cluster may suggest a recurring pattern of Neanderthal behaviour with their dead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Preliminary Results of Geoarchaeological Investigations at Ng\u01b0\u1eddm Rockshelter, Northern Vietnam: Microstratigraphic Evidence of Complex Mortuary Practise in Neolithic Vietnam<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conor McAdams, Flinders Microarchaeology Laboratory, Archaeology, Flinders University, Australia; Lantern Heritage, Tathra, New South Wales, Australia<\/em>
Mike Morley, Flinders Microarchaeology Laboratory, Archaeology, Flinders University, Australia<\/em>
Ben Marwick, Dept of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA<\/em>
Maria Schaarschmidt, Geoscience, University of the Fraser Valley, British Columbia, Canada<\/em>
Ph\u1ea1m Thanh S\u01a1n, Nguyen Thi Mai Huong, Tr\u1ea7n Th\u1ecb Nhi\u1ec7n, Nguy\u1ec5n Gia \u0110\u1ed1i, L\u00fd \u0110\u1ee9c Ch\u00ednh, Th\u00e2n V\u0103n Ti\u1ec7p, Nguy\u1ec5n Th\u1ecb Hi\u1ec1n, Tr\u01b0\u01a1ng H\u1eefu Ngh\u0129a, Nguy\u1ec5n V\u0103n M\u1ea1nh, Tr\u1ea7n V\u0103n Hi\u1ec3n, L\u00ea V\u0103n Th\u00e1i and Ng\u00f4 Trung Ki\u00ean, Vietnamese Institute of Archaeology, Vietnamese Academy of Social Sciences, Hanoi, Vietnam<\/em>
Richard Roberts, School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, Centre for Archaeological Science, University of Wollongong, Australia<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Southeast Asian caves formed foci for burials from the late Pleistocene onwards, but taphonomic analyses of these human remains is impacted by complex sedimentary environments characterised by clast-supported midden deposits, and the intense weathering processes that can affect bone in tropical contexts. Microstratigraphic approaches offer a potential solution by providing detailed contextual information from the surrounding sediments. We applied microstratigraphic analysis and geochemical characterisation to the archaeological record preserved at Ng\u01b0\u1eddm Rockshelter, a prominent regional site. While producing a history of changing occupation practise throughout the late Pleistocene and Holocene, this study found that material within Neolithic and Metal Age burial pits was associated with very specific sedimentary signatures. These formed in a pedological environment quite distinct from that recognised in the surrounding environments of Ng\u01b0\u1eddm Rockshelter, suggesting the material within the pit was initially buried in a different location. This implies the skeletal remains found in these pits were subject to curation and at least two phases of mortuary deposition, a practise found within Vietnamese ethnographic records, but not known from the archaeological record of this period. These results demonstrate the efficacy of microstratigraphy in providing nuanced insights into prehistoric mortuary practise, even where skeletal material is poorly preserved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understanding High-altitude aDNA Preservation: Highly Spatially Resolved Ancient DNA Preservation in Resin-impregnated Archaeological Sediments from Sehonghong Rockshelter<\/strong>,\u00a0Lesotho<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sophie Lee, Archaeology, Flinders University, Australia<\/em>
Bastien Llamas, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Australia<\/em>
Vilma Perez, Siobhan Evans, Brian Stewart, Genevieve Dewar
Mike W. Morley, Archaeology, Flinders University, Australia<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This paper discussed methods first outlined in a landmark research paper by Massilani et al. (2022), which used a combination of ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis and highly spatially resolved microstratigraphic studies employed to better understand the preservation and precise location of aDNA within the sedimentary matrix of resin-impregnated sediments. The method utilises targeted-sample techniques to explore the precise burial conditions in which aDNA can be preserved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2016, four micromorphology sample blocks were extracted from the stratigraphic sequence at Sehonghong Rockshelter, Lesotho: a high-elevation sandstone rockshelter with a rich archaeological record. Two samples were selected for this study, spanning the Middle Stone Age (MSA) and Late Stone Age (LSA). This will be the first time this method has been applied in this region of the world and will provide significant information that can be used as a foundational study for future aDNA investigations in this region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this talk, I will present some preliminary results of this Masters project. Beyond investigating the conditions under which aDNA is preserved, any aDNA extracted will be used to further our understanding of the people and environments present in Lesotho during the MSA and LSA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Natural Products in the Archaeological Record of Tropical Southeast Asia as Potential Evidence of Human-Plant Entanglements<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Michelle S. Eusebio, Jane B. Carlos and Michael James B. Herrera, School of Archaeology, University of the Philippines-Diliman<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This presentation reviews the state of organic residue analysis in the archaeology of tropical Southeast Asia, where it demonstrates that natural products from plants, such as terpenoids from resins and plant waxes, are more preserved to be recovered, detected, and identified. Their identification provides potential evidence at the molecular level of entanglements of humans and hominins with plants, which can contribute to the discussion of human evolution in terms of how early humans interacted with their diverse environments. Long-term human-plant entanglements can provide insights on how people already living in an area controlled and modified their environments, how colonisers introduced newer plants and means of land utilisation, as well as how people utilised plants not only for subsistence and culinary practices but also in creating identities and social relations during the last 300,000 years. Plans for future work involve combining organic residue analysis of artifacts and soils with archaeobotany, especially at the micro level, and archaeogenetics of plants to integrate multiple archaeological science approaches in producing novel insights into the human-plant relationships involved in the evolutionary history of Homo sapiens<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Early Human Dispersals and Occupations of Pleistocene Southeast Asia: A micro-geoarchaeological Approach<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vito C. Hernandez, Archaeology; Australian Microarchaeology and Palaeoscience Facility (AUSMAP), Flinders University, Australia; Biogeography, Environment, Evolution and Climate Laboratory, Institute of Environmental Sciences and Meteorology, University of the Philippines-Diliman, Philippines<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I present doctoral research in which I employed a micro-geoarchaeological approach to investigate Pleistocene human dispersals and occupations from critical Pleistocene sites in Southeast Asia. Fossil and artefact chronologies remain unclear because of complex stratigraphy and poorly understood tropical site formation processes, thus hampering an understanding of the timing and drivers of human dispersals into and out of the region. I applied several microstratigraphic methods to two sites flagged as key to understanding the presence of early humans in the region: ancestral Homo floresiensis at Mata Menge, Indonesia at ~0.7\u20130.3 Ma and Homo sapiens at Tam P\u00e0 Ling, Laos ~52\u201330 ka. I selected these sites for their chronological and environmental diversity, offering insights into the movement of archaic and modern humans in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The microstratigraphic analyses revealed a range of distinct depositional environments. The findings from both sites suggest that climate most likely primarily influenced Pleistocene human movements, although in contrast to archaic humans, modern humans appear to have been more adaptable to climatic fluctuations. Significantly, I demonstrate the effectiveness of microstratigraphy in reconstructing depositional environments and highlight the need for a comprehensive, localised geoarchaeological approach in Southeast Asia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Development of the New Australian Microarchaeological and Palaeosciences Facility (AusMAP)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kelsey Hamilton, Declan Miller, Vito C. Hernandez and Mike W. Morley, Archaeology, Flinders University, Australia<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recent years have seen remarkable advances in the applications of micro-scale archaeological science techniques. Emerging fields such as palaeogenetics, palaeoproteomics, and residue analysis, have contributed significantly to our understanding of the past. As these fields continue to grow both in demand and innovation, the need for the application of complimentary techniques such as micromorphology which can contextualise this data becomes increasingly apparent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Given this, we have been refining protocols for laboratory-based micro-excavation techniques. KH has been developing protocols and applying this to a site in Northern Vietnam as part of a Masters project, to refine micro-excavation methodologies and assess their effectiveness in real-world contexts. Micro-excavation techniques are transforming geoarchaeological research through enhanced sediment recovery and precise stratigraphic documentation, enabling high-resolution analysis of site formation processes and past human activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Australian Microarchaeology and Palaeosciences Facility (AusMAP) will build on this research to develop of a facility dedicated to micro-analytical science, with an emphasis on precise spatial control of acquired data and advancing our understanding of how micro-traces of past activities and processes are preserved. Protocols for digital 3D recording and sampling will be developed, which combined with new high-specification instrumentation aims to make AusMAP a leading facility in microarchaeological science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forest Foragers: Micro- and Macrobotanical Insights into Sri Lanka\u2019s Deep History of Human-Rainforest Interactions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alison Crowther, School of Social Science, The University of Queensland, Australia<\/em>
Oshan Wedage, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Gangodawila, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A growing body of research is showing the importance of rainforest biomes for the evolution of our species. Long considered barriers to human occupation, archaeologists now recognise the deep history of human-rainforest interactions globally, and are turning attention to understanding the diverse trajectories by which our species adapted to, managed, and transformed rainforest environments over time. Sri Lanka has become a renewed focus of research. It contains the first rainforest zone encountered by modern humans as they expanded outside of Africa; has rainforests that were probably continuously present throughout the late Pleistocene; and has produced the earliest Homo sapiens<\/em> fossils in South Asia. This paper presents the preliminary results of phytolith and macrobotanical analyses from the 45,000-year record at Kitulgala Beli-Lena, a rockshelter in the lowland rainforest. A key part of this project has been to create a modern reference collection to support the identification of the plant remains and build an understanding of foraging adaptations and palaeoecological change in the vicinity of the shelter over time. This forms part of a long-term, international collaboration between researchers in Sri Lanka, Europe and Australia, and among its goals are to build capacity within Sri Lanka for these kinds of novel analyses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Disperscapes Project: Using Microstratigraphic Approaches to Reconstructing Deep-time Environments<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mike Morley, Archaeology, Flinders University, Australia<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Initiated in 2019, the aim of the Disperscapes Project was to apply micro-geoarchaeological techniques to reconstruct the environmental conditions associated with the occupation and non-occupation of Southeast Asian and Australian archaeological and palaeoanthropological sites. Supported by an ARC Future Fellowship, the project has generated several high-resolution datasets that reconstruct the palaeoenvironmental setting of several deep-time narratives\u2014from the earliest Homo sapiens<\/em> presence in Southeast Asia to the extinction environment of Gigantopithecus blacki<\/em>, the largest primate to have ever lived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This presentation will summarise some of the major findings from the project and demonstrate how microstratigraphic techniques\u2014especially micromorphology and other spatially resolved sediment analyses\u2014can be pivotal in developing nuanced insights into past environments. A significant additional outcome of the project has been the development of protocols for fine-scale, laboratory-based excavation, digital recording and sampling of sediment blocks, advanced in the Flinders Microarchaeology Laboratory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I will describe how these protocols will be further developed in the newly established Australian Microarchaeology and Palaeosciences Facility (AusMAP) over the coming years. I suggest that the future of archaeological science lies in the generation of finely contextualised data, integrating geoscience techniques with human origins research to construct robust narratives of our evolutionary past.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Format: Paper presentations with discussion Convenors:  Mike W. Morley, Flinders Microarchaeology Laboratory, Archaeology, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia, mike.morley@flinders.edu.au Vito C. Hernandez, Biogeography, Environment, Evolution and Climate Laboratory, Institute of Environmental Sciences and Meteorology, University of the Philippines-Diliman, Philippines; Archaeology, Flinders University, Australia,\u00a0vito.hernandez@flinders.edu.au Michelle Eusebio, School of Archaeology, Albert Hall, Lakandula Street, University of the Philippines-Diliman, Philippines, mseusebio@up.edu.ph […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1157,"featured_media":276,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":"","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-6971","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"pmpro-has-access","7":"czr-hentry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldarchaeologicalcongress.com\/wac10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6971","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldarchaeologicalcongress.com\/wac10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldarchaeologicalcongress.com\/wac10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldarchaeologicalcongress.com\/wac10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1157"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldarchaeologicalcongress.com\/wac10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6971"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/worldarchaeologicalcongress.com\/wac10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6971\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7698,"href":"https:\/\/worldarchaeologicalcongress.com\/wac10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6971\/revisions\/7698"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldarchaeologicalcongress.com\/wac10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/276"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldarchaeologicalcongress.com\/wac10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6971"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}