| Insect analysis (Palaeoentomology) |
 Insects, the most common family of animals on the Earth, have very specific habitat and food requirements, and so can accurately represent the environment of the deposits in which they are found. There are species which, especially within the context of Northern environments, are almost specifically anthopocentric. They can only survive in the microenvironments created by human activities. Others feed only on particular plant or animal types, and, for example, can tell us much about stocking levels and fodder requirements.
Additionally, insects are excellent indicators of background environmental conditions, and with good sampling can give high resolution data on landscape and climate change.
The database and software package BugsCEP, an ecology led application for the interpretation of insect assemblages, is being incorporated into SEAD so that its contents and tools are available online.
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| Mollusc analysis |
 Although rarely preserved outside of calcium rich soils, molluscs can provide valuable information on local environments and climate. In addition, certain species have been important food sources for past cultures, and even been used as jewelry. |
Plant macrofossil analysis
(Archaeobotany/
Paleobotany) |
 One of the most common biological remains to be found on archaeological sites are those of seeds, which, especially if charred, can survive in situations where the general preservation is poor. Seeds, and other remains of plant such as woody stems, or actual leaf and moss fragments, are particularly important when examined with respect to their probably origins. They may have grown on the spot where the sample is taken, or have been transported to the spot from elsewhere. The relocation of plants parts could be the result of human activities, such as agriculture or food preparation, or trade and manufacturing. |
Pollen analysis
(Palynology) |
 Pollen grains can remain preserved in waterlogged deposits for several millenia, and as such are valuable palaeo-environmental indicators. The vegetation composition of an area directly affects, and is frequently affected by, the local human and animal populations. The fossil pollen record may include indications of these interactions, and so allows us to reconstruct past changes in vegetation against a background of natural change and succession. It provides useful markers in prehistory, when the biogeography of particular species is more understood. Climatic data may also be inferred from the relative presence of species and their pollen deposition rates. |
| Soil analyses |
 The geochemical properties of soils can be excellent indicators of past activities, both human and natural. Buried soils can tell us about ancient farming practices, lake sediments record the levels and sources of erosion in their catchment. Variations in the chemical components within a soil may indicate the changes in organic input, be it the location of corpses, or the fertilisation of fields. Furthermore the actual structure of the soil can be changed by human interference. Such factors can be observed through analysis of the Soil Micromorphology, and Soil Chemistry. Soil science also encompasses a variety of prospection techniques which allow for the easier delimitation of archaeological sites or past land use practices, such as farming. |
| Wood analyses |
 Identification of the tree species found at a archaeological site can give valuable information on resource utilisation, trade and climate. It is also essential if the wood is to be carbon dated. Wood macrofossils can also be vital in identifying the presence of trees when pollen production has been limited by environmental stress, including climatic conditions. Dendrochonological data, which are outside the scope of SEAD for now, are instrumental in calibrating radiocarbon dates and dating sites and events. |
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