Soil micromorphology
Definition
The preparation of undisturbed soil blocks as resin-impregnated thin sections for examination under a polarising light microscope, revealing the microstructure, particle composition, and depositional history of the sediment.
Related terms
- Acetolysis
- Erdtman's 1934 extraction method. The sample is treated with a 9:1 mixture of acetic anhydride and concentrated sulphuric acid, which dissolves cellulose...
- Diatom frustule
- The siliceous cell wall of a diatom, composed of biogenic opal; species-specific in shape and ornament, and resistant to degradation in soil...
- Palynomorph
- Any acid-resistant microscopic organic particle recovered by palynological processing, including pollen grains, spores, dinoflagellate cysts, and fungal spores. Each type carries different...
- Phytolith
- Opaline silica body precipitated in or between plant cells during growth. Grass phytoliths are produced in high quantities and persist in soil...
- Terminus post quem (TPQ) from artefacts
- The date of the youngest datable artefact in a sealed context, which sets the earliest possible date for the sealing event. A...
Explained in
- Finds and Artefact ProcessingThe preparation of undisturbed soil blocks as resin-impregnated thin sections for examination under a polarising light microscope, revealing the microstructure...