Archaeometry

Ulrich Leute

Cooperation between scientific and historic disciplines is not as close as it could be. There seems to be a lack of mutual understanding: too little is known about the potentials of physics and chemistry on the one side, and the needs and problems of archaeologists or historians on the other. This book was written to bridge the gap. It shows in a scientifically precise, but still palatable and often even amusing way that physics in particular has contributed substantially to the prospection, dating, characterization and authentication of archaeological finds and pieces of art. Thus, the book helps archaeologists and historians to recognize the potential of science for their purposes, and to gain the knowledge required for the critical evaluation of data provided by scientific methods. Physicists and physico-chemists will learn how to apply 'their' methods in the historic disciplines.