Thin-section analysis of sediment micromorphology has become established as a crucial method for understanding archaeological site formation processes, and for identifying features and activity indicators that are invisible to the naked eye, or difficult to resolve in the field. This volume by Tiziana Matarazzo presents the results of doctoral research, using sediment micromorphology to investigate the Early Bronze Age site of Afragola in Campania, Italy. Afragola is an interesting case study as it was ‘sealed’ by a volcanic eruption, and so has the potential to inform on the systemic context of microarchaeological materials, to use the terminology of Schiffer. Such sites are uncommon but ideally suited to micromorphology and the level of detail it can provide about past activities and intensity of occupation, which in turn provide insight into broader questions about social complexity and change.

The volume follows a standard scientific structure: an introductory chapter on the wider context of the Early Bronze Age in this region and the aims of the research; a short chapter presenting the study site; a third on methods; and a fourth (and final) discussion chapter. Overall, the volume is beautifully presented, with many full colour images throughout the text illustrating the thin section features under discussion, and lots of signposting to indicate how the microscopic features relate to those seen in the field. This is to be highly commended, as many micromorphology studies are let down by a text-heavy approach, which can be difficult for non-specialists to follow. The presentation is, however, marked by a number of referencing and formatting errors, particularly in the bibliography; while minor, they are frequent enough to be distracting.

The book is clearly the result of a meticulous and rigorous analysis; the discussion of the wider context of the study, however, feels brief. The volume itself is quite short. Half of its 200 pages comprise the research, with the majority of these presenting the detailed results of the micromorphology; the remaining 100 pages comprise an appendix of descriptive tables. I would have liked further in-depth discussion of other micromorphological work and consideration of how this particular case study compares with sites that have undergone extensive micromorphology programmes. The latter are rare, particularly on complex settlement sites, and it would have been useful to evaluate how the Afragola study compares. There is no reference, for example, to recent work by myself and others on middens and open areas at Çatalhöyük where we encountered remarkably similar features. Likewise, reference to work by Wendy Matthews on the floors at Çatalhöyük and other settlement sites is limited to early contributions of the 1990s, with no mention of her more recent studies. These later publications are significant because they highlight advances in the practice of micromorphology, stressing the importance of so-called integrated microstratigraphic approaches, where thin-section micromorphology is conducted simultaneously alongside geochemical and microbotanical analyses. I was initially excited to see that Matarazzo supplements the micromorphology with FTIR (a spectroscopic technique that can identify aspects of mineralogy such as ash deposits that are difficult to recognise using microscopy). Unfortunately, the results of the FTIR analysis do not appear to be included in either the results chapter or the discussion; presumably they are to be published elsewhere. This is a shame as it would have been useful to see what additional information this analysis could provide. The same goes for other data from the site. Many of the samples presented contain large quantities of plant micro- and macro-remains, and it would have been interesting to see how the micromorphology links with the archaeobotany. That said, I have been guilty of similar omissions myself, and this highlights the challenge that micromorphologists face in integrating their data with those of other specialists, a problem that is a result both of the way archaeology is practised and the different scales that these data represent.

As a micromorphologist, I really enjoyed the results chapter. It makes clear links between the observed features and possible activity interpretations, along with reference to the relevant micrograph figures that clearly highlight the features under discussion. This chapter, however, will probably be very heavy going for non-micromorphology specialists. Such readers will be most interested in the discussion chapter, which brings out the main findings of the analysis, looking at the possible functions of different buildings and areas within the settlement. Readers may also be interested in a 2010 article by Matarazzo and collaborators that focuses on a single hut from the same site.

This book is a valuable addition to the literature as a comparative and reference resource for both teaching and research. I look forward to seeing future work that integrates the micromorphology with other datasets from the site.