The microstratigraphic investigation of hearth features at Lake Mungo, Australia

Hearths exposed on the eroding surface of the Lake Mungo lunette include the remains of ovens lined or capped with heat retainers, discrete patches of cemented and organic rich sediment, and discrete clusters of burned bone. Microstratigraphic investigation of four late Pleistocene hearths was undertaken using thin section microscopy and mineral mapping, involving Quantitative Evaluation of Minerals Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (QEM-EDS). This provided the basis for interpreting the activities represented by the hearths and for assessing the impact of depositional and post-depositional processes on their preservation. Although thin section microscopy proved more useful than QEM-EDS for this purpose. Microstratigraphic study of baked sediment hearths is critical to understanding the cooking and food processing activities they represent, and for documenting the impact of depositional, post-depositional and post-exposure processes on the way they are preserved.