FOSSIL DIATOMS AND THEIR SIGNIFICANCE IN ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH
Antoinette M. Mannion
Summary. The relationship between environmental archaeology and diatom analysis, a well established technique in palaeoecology, is explored. development of analysis for palaeoenvironmental reconstruction briefly considered flow diagrams are presented to illustrate laboratory techniques. Examples research Mexico, North America, Britain Europe discussed the potential as means assessing human impact on environment, notably lake water quality, elucidating conditions under which archaeological sediments have accumulated. Consideration also given role examining land/sea‐level changes, especially those may affected prehistoric resource use, its significance local environments around sites. Finally, fossil diatoms provenancing pottery explored with particular reference Dutch Finnish examples.
Oxford Journal of Archaeology