Physico-chemistry of Archaeomaterials

Description

Presentation: The study of natural substances preserved in archaeological contexts falls within the field of biomolecular archaeology. Animal fats, resins, waxes, and other organic residues preserved on ceramic, lithic, and bone objects provide access to a wide range of prehistoric societal activities, such as dairy production, beekeeping, medicinal practices, and incense making. Coordinated by a researcher from the CEPAM laboratory specializing in biomolecular archaeology, the Physico-chemistry of Archaeomaterials module introduces students to physico-chemical methods that provide cultural, chronological, and environmental information contained in archaeomaterials. Course coordinator: Martine Regert. In-person: 12 hours of lectures, 12 hours of tutorials. Prerequisites: Before the course, I must have basic knowledge in archaeology, bioarchaeology, and Prehistory; ideally, some elementary knowledge of physics and chemistry (scientific baccalaureate, undergraduate courses, readings, documentaries). Objectives: By the end of this course, I should be able to describe types of organic and inorganic materials likely to be preserved in archaeological contexts and explain analytical protocols to characterize them; based on case studies, discuss the relevance of methods used to characterize...