Analyzing minute remains, delicate objects, or components of priceless artifacts is often difficult. An example of the difficulties encountered in analyzing these types of artifacts is seen in the wood analysis of a wooden writing tablet (diptych), recovered from a 14th century B.C. submerged shipwreck. Because only minute fragments of the diptych were available for analysis, we utilized a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to obtain high resolution images of the fragments at high magnifications. The similarity of the diptych wood to a reference sample of Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) suggested it is the probable wood used for the diptych's construction. This study presents an example of why SEM is occasionally necessary as a tool in archaeology.
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