Introducing the Australian Microarchaeology and Palaeosciences Facility (AusMAP): Using Micro-Contextual Approaches to Interpret the Tropical Archaeological Record

Mike W. Morley1*, Shaiful Shahidan2, Vito C. Hernandez1, Declan Miller1, Jana Anvari1, Conor McAdams3, and Rasmi Shoocondej4

The past decade has seen a revolution in the ways that archaeological science techniques are being applied to study the past, especially at the micro-scale. Thanks to significant advances in technological capabilities and methodological developments, micro-analytical techniques are now being applied more often and innovatively to better understand deep time archaeological records. Emerging fields such as palaeogenomics, palaeoproteomics, and highly spatially-resolved geochemistry have contributed landmark findings about past humans and the dynamic landscapes in which they lived. However, when evidence as small as a biomolecule has the potential to reshape narratives of the human past, it is essential that such evidence is rigorously contextualised within what are often complex stratigraphic sequences. This issue is particularly critical in tropical Southeast Asia, where complex depositional environments frequently compromise preservation and obscure site formation processes. In these contexts, microstratigraphic and sediment-focused approaches are critical for reconstructing the integrity of archaeological sequences and for securely situating micro-scale evidence. In this paper, we introduce the Australian Microarchaeology and Palaeosciences Facility (AusMAP), a new collaborative research infrastructure designed to integrate micro-excavation and micro-analytical workflows, enabling high-resolution investigation of intact sediment matrices with full sediment recovery. We argue that such micro-contextual approaches are essential for advancing archaeological science in tropical environments and outline how AusMAP provides a platform for collaborative, regionally grounded research across Southeast Asia.