Gives the principles of inductively coupled plasma-spectrometry in all its various configurations – analysis of samples in solution and the solid state (via laser ablation) as well as optical and mass spectrometric detection. ICP techniques have become the industry standard following the decline of neutron activation analysis and are now routinely used in archaeology.

Introduces the technique of chromatography – the separation of molecules in a sample by passing it through a ‘sticky’ stationary phase – including liquid and gas chromatography with detection by conventional and various mass spectrometric techniques. Gives an introduction to organic residue analysis on visible and invisible residues in ceramics and, more recently, metals.

Introduces the structure of the atom (Bohr–Rutherford model) and shows how the electronic configuration of the atoms leads to the construction of the Periodic Table. It also discusses isotopes and natural radioactivity.

Introduces the electromagnetic spectrum and shows how different parts of it interact with solid materials. It includes a derivation of Beer’s law which allows the quantification of analytical measurements. It concludes with a discussion of synchrotron radiation, which provides highly collimated high intensity electromagnetic radiation across all wavelengths.

This volume serves as an introduction to the principles and applications of analytical chemistry to archaeological materials. Accessible to students without a comprehensive background in chemistry, it will enable them to draw meaningful interpretations from analytical data in order to facilitate a deeper understanding of the beliefs of people in the distant past. The second edition has been thoroughly revised to include the cutting-edge developments in analytical chemistry that have occurred over the last two decades. It offers a detailed explanation of the principles behind the analytical techniques, allowing archaeologists to appreciate the strengths and limitations of data generated through analysis of archaeological objects. The volume also includes interdisciplinary perspectives, showing how the interaction between a range of disciplines enables a deeper understanding of human behaviour and beliefs in the past. Importantly, the book provides basic information on laboratory procedures and safety that fosters an understanding of the practicalities of laboratory science.

Chapter 2 describes the history of archaeological research on the plateau, beginning with the efforts of missionaries, diplomats, and explorers to compile natural histories of the plateau, then moving to 20th-century research conducted by Chinese and Western scholars.

Discusses the analytical techniques based on the interaction of X-rays with matter (X-ray fluorescence), or which produce characteristic X-rays (scanning electron microscope) from electron or other particle bombardment, which can also be used for imaging. It also describes the use of X-ray diffraction for pigment identification and discusses the issues arising from the use of portable XRF on archaeological material.

Risk and uncertainty were structural to the Roman world, as was the case for other preindustrial empires. But their impact was not distributed equally. Social, economic, political, legal, military, and other inequalities pervaded Roman society and generated conditions of precarity. Precarity was experienced as a new relation to the Roman object world; as an impetus for experimentation but a brake on innovation; as a state of constant anticipation; as a troubled relation to place; and as a negotiation of horizontal and vertical relations of care.

Chapter 8 presents an evaluation of how the archaeology of the plateau can offer insights into environmental conservation and explores the political context of how data from the past are used by the modern Chinese state to solidify its control over the Tibetan people.

The seventh chapter examines how, in the face of significant physical contraction in the sixth and seventh centuries, the entire Subura valley was reworked into a Christian processional landscape starting under Gregory I. Focusing on Mary as a civic intercessor, two ad hoc seven-form processions, which later became four annual processions, terminated at S. Maria (now Maior), spurring the foundation of several new churches along the Subura’s thoroughfares, all dedicated to virginal female saints. At this time, the Subura shows a marked concentration of female church dedications compared to the city at large.

The fourth chapter provides an impression of the rapid residential and commercial growth that took place in the Subura during the second and third centuries CE. The variety of evidence for domus, insulae, tabernae, and markets from across the valley is considered, as is the increased religious diversity outside state cults. Most importantly, a sizable Jewish community, with likely earlier origins, becomes apparent at this time.

Through three cases of short-lived terra sigillata ceramic production in Italy and Gaul, this chapter shows that experimentation was driven by those living precariously, in an attempt to make more from less, but was curbed by a lack of capital investment. This disjuncture between capital and human capital development helps explain both the presence of a wider skill spectrum than previously assumed for the Roman world and the structural limitations of Roman innovation, while putting into relief the plight of those without access to a capital asset portfolio.