Traceology is defined as the study of wearmarks and its history in criminology and archaeology is briefly described. It is proposed that the concept of traceology can be extended to machined surfaces, particularly those produced by abrasive techniques. A taxonomy of wearmarks is outlined which would encompass both pits and scratches. Taxonomic implementations such as the morphology rose and the morphological tree are introduced. The general principles of traceology are illustrated by case studies from criminology, archaeology and abrasive machining processes.