Palynology, diatom and phytolith analyses provide valuable information about past vegetation, human activities and environmental changes.
Artefacts tell us part of the story. The sediments, soils, and microscopic traces preserved alongside them reveal much more: how people lived, how they used the land, and how environments changed over time.
MGPalaeo’s core microscopic expertise provide detailed insights into past environments and human activities preserved in archaeological sediments.
Our microscopic analyses are enhanced by complementary sedimentological techniques that help interpret site formation processes and depositional environments, providing the stratigraphic context needed to understand how archaeological materials were preserved.
How Can MGPalaeo Help?
MGPalaeo has a range of services dedicated to archaeological studies and has been involved in multiple projects across Australia. We pride ourselves on our rapid turnaround times and ability to handle large volumes of samples.
Our Services
Palynology & Phytoliths – Reveal vegetation change, cultivation, and plant use, even when seeds or wood don’t survive.
Diatoms – Track water sources and aquatic environments to understand settlement choices and resource use.
Micro-charcoal – Reconstruct fire history and distinguish natural events from cultural land management.
High-resolution stratigraphic logging of archaeological sections, trenches, and cores, providing the framework that makes microfossil evidence meaningful.
An Integrated Approach – Integrating biostratigraphy and sedimentology ensures that microscopic analyses are interpreted within their proper depositional context, allowing us to separate natural processes from human activities.
Why MGPalaeo
With decades of experience in palynology and sedimentology, MGPalaeo brings proven laboratory expertise and an integrated approach that links microscopic evidence with site formation and environment.
Our flexible deliverables are designed to meet the needs of heritage consultants, government projects, and academic research alike.
For more information on how MGPalaeo can help your projects, please Contact Us.
Additional Services
MGPalaeo has an on-site laboratory at our Malaga office, set up for the full suite of biostratigraphic services. However, we can also provide additional laboratory services if there is sufficient request (ie, Starch Analysis or XRF spectrometry).
If any of these services are of interest, or if there are additional processing or analytical requests that would further improve your archaeological research, please Contact us and we can discuss further.