This manual is a comprehensive illustrated overview of the minerals and textures seen in polarized light microscopy of cultural artefacts. It focuses on the specific applications of thin-section petrography to the study of cultural materials made of stone (as found in architecture, sculpture, tools etc.) and ceramic objects (earthenware, stoneware, porcelain, brick and tile, etc.). The reader can learn the techniques used to identify and characterize such materials; to differentiate between them; to monitor the extent of their deterioration; to determine where they may have originated; and to interpret their fabrication, decoration, and history of use. The author has selected the most representative cultural materials for which thin-section petrography has been used as a major research tool and conducted a thorough survey of the literature indicating landmark publications from the past and more recent scholarship.