Residues and Usewear

Abstract

This chapter looks at microscopic observations and other techniques that archaeologists employ to determine the function of things. It considers two main functional traces: residues and usewear. Of particular interest is the transfer of residues during use, but some residues are unrelated to use and reflect incidental contact, burial processes, or even modern contaminant. The chapter discusses usewear, micrology, and tracewear – terms that refer to surface modifications during use, hafting, handling, and storage. There are distinctive types of usewear and residues, and in some instances, a single trace on its own may be diagnostic of tool use. Three kinds of light microscope are commonly used for routine study of usewear and residues: a stereomicroscope with an external light source; a compound incident-light microscope (e.g., a metallographic microscope) for reflected light viewing of opaque specimens (e.g., tool edges); and a compound transmitted-light microscope for viewing specimens mounted on glass slides.

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