The Application of Soil and Sediment Micromorphology in First Americans Research

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Geoarchaeology in First Americans Research, Part 1" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Over the past several decades, the application of soil and sediment micromorphology in geoarchaeology has flourished, especially outside of the Americas. Despite the widespread acceptance and use of this approach by our European counterparts, a similar effect has yet to occur among geoarchaeologists focused on the early archaeological record in the Western Hemisphere. In this paper, I provide a brief review of soil and sediment micromorphology in First Americans (PaleoIndigenous) research, including some recent applications across the US, with the goal of demonstrating how soil micromorphology can address issues of stratigraphic integrity, evaluate site formation processes, and aid in paleoenvironmental reconstruction. As we continue the hunt for early sites across the Western Hemisphere, researchers should consider incorporating micromorphological analyses into archaeological research designs.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Geoarchaeology in First Americans Research, Part 1   •
• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 51186