Microscopes and optic illuminators are being purchased for use by undergraduate students in an archaeology laboratory studying microscopic wear patterns on stone artifacts. The objective is to enable students to discriminate different functional uses of stone tools based on microwear polish and striations found on artifact working edges. The acquisition of this equipment upgrades previously available instruments, and provides students with the means to undertake comparative analyses of microscopic wear patterns on artifacts used in the same task. The equipment is also used to study under magnification marks made on bone to differentiate those caused by natural agencies, such as trampling or gnawing, from those caused by stone artifacts in the process of butchering. The university will contribute an amount equal to the award.
