Authors
Michael J Grant
Publication date
2018/10/10
Journal
The Encyclopedia of Archaeological Sciences
Pages
1-4
Publisher
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Description
Palynology is an informal term used to describe the study of a large range of both extinct and extant organic‐walled microfossils, known collectively as palynomorphs. This includes pollen and spores as well as non‐pollen palynomorphs (NPP) and dinoflagellates, and those restricted to pre‐Quaternary deposits that can be useful in provenance studies. Palynomorphs are preserved in a wide range of sedimentary environments, leading to their widescale adoption as a key technique for paleoenvironmental and geoarchaeological studies, permitting detailed insights into human activity across all populated continents along with the study of past climates. This entry provides a broad perspective on the use of palynomorphs in archaeological studies.
Total citations
2021202211
Scholar articles
MJ Grant - The Encyclopedia of Archaeological Sciences, 2018