Chemical Methods in Archaeology

Chemistry plays an important role in the study of archaeological materials. For instance, chemistry has developed methods for dating archaeological material. It has also allowed for inferring trade routes by studying ancient artifacts and for shedding light on the technology used to make them. In addition, the diets and customs of ancient peoples have also been discovered by applying chemical methods. Furthermore, chemistry assists in gaining understanding of the mechanisms that cause archaeological material to degrade. The modern analytical methods available today have been used to study a wide range of archaeological inorganic, organic, and biological materials. A short overview of some of the most relevant achievements reached by applying chemical methods to archaeology is reported here. Keywords: Analytical methods; Archaeology; Conservation science

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