Every artefact tells a story. We read it precisely.
Artefact analysis is the post-fieldwork discipline through which the archaeological material recovered during heritage surveys, watching briefs and excavations is examined, classified, interpreted and assessed for cultural significance. The quality of artefact analysis determines the quality of the heritage record — and a thorough, well-documented assemblage analysis is often the difference between a heritage report that satisfies regulatory requirements and one that stands as a genuine contribution to the understanding of Aboriginal cultural heritage in WA.
Trace Archaeology's artefact analysts are experienced in managing and analysing large and complex assemblages from archaeological sites across WA's diverse bioregions — from the deeply stratified deposits of the Pilbara and Kimberley to the surface scatters of the Goldfields and the coastal sites of the southwest. Our analysts bring expertise across lithic technology, raw material identification, assemblage characterisation, chronological assessment and significance evaluation — producing analyses that are scientifically rigorous, clearly written and practically useful to everyone who relies on them.
Our artefact analysis services cover the full scope of what excavated and collected assemblages require. We conduct lithic artefact analysis — classifying stone tools, flakes, cores and debitage by technology, raw material, reduction sequence and functional category, and assessing what the assemblage reveals about the past activities, mobility patterns and technological traditions of the people who made and used them. We use portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) technology for non-destructive raw material sourcing — identifying the geological origins of stone tools and revealing patterns of movement and exchange across the landscape.
Where assemblages include material requiring more specialised analysis, we deploy use-wear analysis to identify the activities artefacts were used for, residue analysis to detect organic materials associated with tool use, and radiocarbon or optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating to establish chronological context for deposits and assemblages.
All artefact analysis undertaken by Trace Archaeology is conducted in accordance with AACAI guidelines and the relevant curation and storage requirements of the DPLH. Our assemblage reports are structured to meet regulatory requirements while communicating findings clearly and accessibly to Traditional Owners, proponents and decision-makers alike.
Trace Archaeology is a division of Trace Enterprises — Perth's only fully integrated heritage, environmental and planning consultancy.
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Whatever your heritage or environmental project needs, Trace Archaeology and Trace Ecology is ready to help. Talk to our team today — no obligation.