Archaeology Dictionary:
insect analysis
[Te]
The recovery of insect remains from anaerobic and semi-anaerobic deposits can be very revealing about the climate, local environment, and the health and welfare of local populations. The most common find is the hard exterior skeleton of beetles, but other fragments of insects themselves, their eggs and lava can also be recovered. Remains are usually collected by froth floatation in the laboratory and studied using comparative reference material. Their preferences and habitats can be modelled by observing modern insect populations.
