Glossary:Spherulite

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[edit] Spherulite

Small, usually spheroidal, crystal bodies consiting of needle-like or elongate crystals radiating from one point. They commonly occur in igneous rocks, but perhaps the most common use of the term in geoarchaeology is to describe calcium carbonate bodies matching the description above which are sometimes found in calcareous soils and sediments, and which originate in the the guts of herbivores. These faecal spherulites are typically 5-15 microns in diameter and can occur in high concentrations in areas where dung has accumulated. As such they can be indicators of manuring, animal living quarters, dung hills (middens) and the use of dung as fuel.