SURFACE TOMOGRAPHY AND METROLOGY IN THE QUEST TO UNDERSTAND PREHISTORIC MAN: AN APPLICATION OF LASER SCANNING CONFOCAL MICROSCOPY

A problem restricting the application of lithic microwear analysis to the study of stone tool function in archaeology is the lack of quantitative support for qualitative assessments of different wear traces. Here reflective LSCM is evaluated as a technique for the study of microwear that can potentially resolve this problem. A comparative evaluation showed that images, rivalling that of the SEM, can be produced in similar timescales to conventional photomicrography and with no need for casting or sample preparation. This proves extremely useful for the qualitative assessment and presentation of wear. Metrological analysis of surface data from samples used to work a range of materials demonstrates clear and measurable differences between roughness values of each wear polish. This highlights the potential of the LSCM as a suitable approach in lithic microwear research. Whilst this experiment has limitations; a limited range of worked materials, worked over a controlled time scale. It is argued that the results of this study are potentially groundbreaking in this field of research and a clear argument can be made that further evaluation of the method is warranted.