Abstract

While ethnographic observations and experimental archaeology provide valuable insights into the use of prehistoric artefacts, the actual data comes primarily from their microscopic analysis. The two main lines of research involved in the functional analysis of these artefacts, that is, the study of the wear features derived from their use and the search for use-related residues adhered to their surfaces, are both supported by detailed microscopic observation.

In this talk, I round up several examples of work in progress and published by our research group, to illustrate the advantages of a multi-technical and multi-scale approach, including optical, 3D digital, scanning electron and confocal microscopy. Both experimental and archaeological cases from the Early, Middle, and Late Pleistocene are included.

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