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	Analisi delle tracce d'uso	Analisi per Attivazione Neutronica Strumentale
Campo	Archeologia	Archeologia
Famiglia	Process / pipeline	Process / pipeline
Anno di origine	1980	1992
Ideatore	Lawrence Keeley	Michael Glascock
Tipo	Tool function inference	Trace element sourcing
Fonte seminale	Keeley, L. H. (1980). Experimental Determination of Stone Tool Uses. University of Chicago Press.	Glascock, M. D. (1992). Characterization of archaeological ceramics at MURR. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 168(2), 217-228.
Alias	microwear, tool use analysis	INAA, neutron activation analysis
Correlati	4	3
Sintesi	Use-wear analysis (also called microwear or tool-use analysis) is a method that infers the function of stone tools from microscopic wear patterns on their cutting edges and surfaces. Pioneered by Lawrence Keeley in the 1970s-1980s, this technique examines damage patterns, polishes, and edge rounding produced as tools contact different materials during use. By analyzing these wear patterns, archaeologists can determine whether a tool was used to cut plant material, meat, bone, hide, or wood—revealing detailed information about task specialization and subsistence practices in prehistoric societies.	Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) measures trace element concentrations in archaeological artifacts by bombarding samples with neutrons and analyzing the resulting gamma-ray emissions. Developed as a systematic archaeological method by Michael Glascock and colleagues, INAA provides chemical fingerprints of ceramics, obsidian, and other materials that reveal sourcing and provenance. The method is non-destructive, highly sensitive, and capable of detecting 30+ elements simultaneously.