Material Types

Building Materials 

Materials used for construction (e.g., brick, wood, adobe) 

Ceramic 

Historic or prehistoric artifacts made from pottery or fired clay 

Chipped Stone 

Lithic artifacts such as tools, flakes, shatter, or debitage 

Dating Sample 

Material collected for use with dating techniques such as radiocarbon, dendrochronology or archaeomagnetism 

Fauna 

Animal bone remains 

Fire Cracked Rock 

Rocks showing evidence of intense heating or burning, carbon staining, or other indications of changes due to heat

Glass 

Historic or prehistoric artifacts made from glass 

Ground Stone 

Lithic artifact formed or finished by polishing the body or edges with an abrasive 

Human Remains 

The remains of any part of a human 

Macrobotanical 

Plant remains such as fruit, seeds, buds, or other plant parts

Metal 

Any prehistoric or historic artifact made of metal (e.g., iron, copper, gold, silver, etc.) 

Mineral 

Natural inorganic substance possessing a definite chemical composition in a crystalline form

Pollen 

Use for any microscopic plant remains 

Shell 

Modified or unmodified objects made from mollusc shell

Wood 

Modified or unmodified objects made from the roots, trunk, or branches of trees or shrubs