The use of spectroscopic techniques in the analysis and dating of archaeological and cultural artefacts is now well established. Whether they are used for dating or compositional analysis, the data they produce is invaluable for archaeologists, curators and conservation scientists. This second edition addresses present microscopic characterization techniques and spectroscopic techniques including, X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy for Archaeological and cultural heritage research applications. The book includes contributions from an international pool of researchers and uses case studies to demonstrate applications of techniques. This edition covers a wider range of cultural heritage objects and has a wider scope than the first edition. The research text is intended for early career researchers and those that are new to the field. The chapters begin from a critical review, include recent trends and are intended to connect the audience to possible future research. Key Features: Includes the most common spectroscopic and microscopy techniques Provides an interdisciplinary approach Includes contributions from an international pool of researchers Explores both dating and compositional analysis applications Uses case studies to demonstrate the applications of techniques