7 and 8 Flashcards
`Archeological classification
The distribution of data across time and space(time-space systematics)
-unit of classification to hopefully make categories to make interpretations
-Class
-category
-type
Taxonomy
one way of ordering observations “the systems of classifying concepts material, phenomena, objects
classification breakdown
-Class(ceramic)
-category: Kitchen
-type:(shell-edged pearlware
typology
process of arranging artifacts into meaningful groups
type
a group of archeological artifacts (defined as consistent clustering of attributes
Attribute
A trait that can be isolated, observed, defined
Value
An acceptable measurement for a given attribute
goals of typesology
-1.put into magabale units
2.Define type using agreed-upon attributes and values
3.Study variability within a type
- identify relationships between types
Possibilities to categorized
1.morphological-based on shapes
- functional-based on how it was used
- stylistics-used to convey information through public display
- temporal-based on change through time
5.technological-based on how artifacts was made
6.material-based on what raw material made from
- locational-where artifacts was made, use
What’s a good typology
scientific type are abstractions
-typology accounts for all known examples of given class of artifacts, is repeatable , and can be can incorporate new example/artifacts found)
(typology taken to different site and works)
-cannot account for all possibilities
Measurments
data: measurements and observation obtained help makes types
-number(measurements)
-image(plans, section, pictures, photographs)
-text(informant interview, description, field journal)
-codes(Munsell’s color code and artifacts type are code also)
-non superior to others
value of datum
the values of a single datum is it ability to help us understand())))))
Level of measurment
nominal:(exhaustive, mutually exclusive)(descriptions)
Ordinal: exhaustive, mutually exclusive, ranked order(wider, longer)
Interval(exhaustive, mutually exclusive, ranked order, distance between values measured)(temperature scales
Ratio: has a true zero point and absence of the phenomena being measured(Kelvin)
After in types: Seriation
Seriation-relative dating techniques which allows us to order artifacts, occupational layers, or sites based on the idea that style changes through time
Fossiles type
diagnostic artifacts
fossile directuer-
index fossil-
type fossil-
all means the same thing, it an artifacts used to pin point a place in time
(broken artifacts may not be diagnostic because notches are diagnostic)
frequency seriation
the ordering of archeological sites, layer, within a site or materials based on the frequency of artifacts preserved in different time periods
experimental Archelogy
A form of analogy-making used in archelogy in which observations are made under artificially controlled conditions(tests of efficency of tools designs that material or components from which they are made)
-production or use of features
-production and use of artifacts
-depostiin of artifacts and taphonmic processes
-community living
-how to hold sword
-how to fight with bronzed age weapon
-composition of weapon
-how swordsmanship changed
Analogy
A process of reasoning in which similarly betwen two entities in some characteristics is taken to imply similarity
Two-Specific and General analogy
specific-comparing specific time and place(single culture tradition
general analogy-used more boraod spread(many cultural traditons)
Assumption e A
-process in past similar to present
-material in the past behave as do material in the present
-Accurate results are yielded only by strict adhere to appropriate material and technology under appropriate environmental conditions
-Positive results are only indicated of one successful solution out of many potentially successful conditions.
Production or use of features
how well work
how was it made
-what was it function
community living
-experiments which attempts to get totially of ancient life by experience ancients conditions
stone tools
-how much energy does it take to kill and dress and cookn a deer
-how many calories are provided
what tehcnolgies were used
Lithics
Means stones, comes from greek word lithos
-stone have useful properties from variety of task(chopped obsidian still used)
-Olduwam-refers to a type of sone tool found in Africa and associated with some of our earliest hominin ancestors(flaking)
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