Ostracodological studies in archaeological settings: a review

During recent years, geo-archaeology has been revitalised and much effort has been made to combine geo-archaeological sciences like geomorphology, sedimentology, micropalaeontology and geochemistry with the cultural archaeological approach. The first definition of geo-archaeology dates back to the late seventies and since then has evolved to include more and more multidisciplinary studies. In this perspective, ostracods play a crucial role since they are valuable palaeoenvironmental indicators in all aquatic habitats, from freshwater to marine. Despite their potential, the integration of ostracods in archaeological studies has not been immediate. Only in the nineties did ostracod geo-archaeology seem to finally take its place, including a systematic approach to ostracod studies in archaeological excavations. Since then, many geo-archaeological investigations have included ostracod analyses, exploiting their potential as multitask tools. The research papers composing this special issue, demonstrate that ostracods can be used in the most diverse settings as tracers of archaeological material provenance, proxies for palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimate reconstructions as well as clues to human impact.