ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on physical, macro scalar levels of analysis, rather than chemical and micro scalar levels of analysis and also about radiometric dating techniques. It intends to include some x-ray fluorescence (xrf) studies of the beads as part of archaeological science work in its realm. The chapter argues that fish-shapemos d beads closely resemble the fish icon used as short hand to represent Christianity and may represent an attempt to inject religious decorum into the festivities. It includes some case studies that involved evidence drawn from animal and plant remains and introduces one to basic recovery techniques used archaeologically; the authors did not cover all complex methodologies that go into reconstructing ancient environments and human/plant and human/animal relationships. The chapter explains the attribute of human nature that is ultimately the basis of the archaeological endeavor and what drives to carefully interrogate the material traces people leave behind, whether those traces are burned corncobs, flaked stone tools, or a strand of plastic beads.
