ANT200 Flashcards
Uniformitarianism
the principle that stratification of rocks is due to processes occurring in bodies of water (oceans, lakes, rivers)
Stratification
relative dating technique to access the temporal sequence of a artefact deposition (came from geology)
Processual archaeology or “New arch”
Importance of economic and social systems in societies ( trade, subsistence, kinship)
Application of scientific methods and statistical analysis
Use of analogy from ethnoarchaeology and experimental archeology
Ethnoarchaeology
study of peoples for archeological reasons, through the material remains in a society. observing their impact on the world
Diffusion
novel traits or practices spread between individuals in a population and explains the difference
Heritage
handed down from past generations, in cultural contexts it could be materials
Antiquarianism
18-19th century, represents the investigation of (the things) ancient past
Indigeneity (indigenous archeology)
broad set of ideas, methods and strategies applied to the discovery and interpretation of the human past
Ethnoarchaeology
ethnographic study of peoples for archaeological reasons, normally looking at material remains in a society
Epistemology
Component (as in single component and multicomponent)
evidence for past human activity, all the elements of the site, spatially* related to each other in the site
Context
vital for understanding formation processes, helps to figure out how the object got to its location, what may have happened to the object after it was abandoned by people
Feature
non-artifactual organic or environmental remains that have cultural relevance ( soils, sediments)
Ecofact
organic and environmental remains
Photogrammetry
modelling objects in 3D using multiple overlapping photos, can be done with new iPhones but be aware of the differences in resolutions between phones
Topography
related to human activity, mounds, earthworks, ancient canals
- search for shadow marks, moisture differences
Resistivity
(NON INVASIVE) type of surveying where an electric current is applied through probes which must be inserted into the gaunt with electrical resistance to the current to then be measured
Magnetometry
(non invasive) method of surveying. best for measuring higher/lower moisture content, like fired areas (without having to excavate)
Anomaly
type of surveying that indicates a presences of archeological findings , cannot be determined without excavation
Assemblage
Grouping of different artifacts found in association with another
Cultural Resource Management (CRM)
also known as rescue archeology, protect, identify, and preserve archeological resources
- main example is before starting construction they need archeologist to check to make sure its not an important site
Faunal
artifacts/ findings that can mould over time if not properly stored (mainly animal remains)
Lithic
broad category of artifact organization that is a usable tool made with different types of stone
Typology
type of organization that is used to arrange according to perceived or measurable similar between observed data and defied analytical units (think about the button/ nail lab)
deduction
reasoning where specific consequences are inferred from general propositions ( drawing conclusions from available information)
radiocarbon dating
absolute dating method that measures the decay of carbon isotopes (C14)
three age system
created by CJ Thompson in which you can classify artifacts in chronological order ( Bronze Age, Stone Age, Iron Age)
Mesolithic
10,000 years ago between Paleolithic and Neolithic
neolithic revolution
coined by Gordon Childe in which the consequence of farming led for the devlopment of village life
archaeogenetics
study of ancient DNA
androcentrism
idea that that men are more than other genders
salvage archaeology
excavation of archaeological sites in advance of construction or urban development
matrix
physical material within which artifacts are embedded ( ex- clay, mud)
provenience
place of origin of something
taphonomy
study of processes that have affected organic material
hoards
deliberately buried groups of valuables or possessions in times of war or conflict
electrolysis
(think like ring cleaning)cleaning process where artifacts are placed in a chemical solution through passing a currant through them to remove any deposits
off-site evidence
Data from a range of information that provide important evidence about human exploitation of the environments
surface survey
an archaeological survey technique using direct observation to discover and gather archaeological data present on the ground surface; includes mapping and surface collection
remote sensing
imaging of a phenomena from distance
research design
testing a hypothesis, collection of data, processing the data and publishing the results
ground survey
identifying archaeological sites through consulting documentation, locals, folklore and fieldwork
aerial survey
method of identifying sites through images taken from aerial and satellite imaging
LiDAR (light detection and ranging)
light transmitted to a target of which is reflected back to the instrument and determines the range of the target
systematic survey
the area of the ground to be surveyed in hopes of recording the location of artefacts
total station
optical electronic instrument used to survey and record excavation
SLAR (Side-Looking Airborne Radar)
technique that involves the recording of radar images of the return pulses of electromagnetic radiation from an aircraft
earth resistance survey
method of surface detection that measures changes in conductivity by passing an electric currant through ground soils to measure resistance
subsurface detection
collective name the collective name for remote sensing techniques for ground surveying
wheeler box grid
An excavation technique developed by Mortimer Wheeler involving retaining intact baulks of earth between excavation grid squares, so that different layers can be correlated across the site in the vertical profile
open area excavation
large horizontal areas for excavation used for single period deposits that lie close to the surface
step trenching
method used on deep sites which starts from a large open area then proceeds downwards in a progressively narrow step as the dig decends
attribute
minimal characteristic of an artefact that cannot be subdivided
seriation
chronological ordering of a group of artefacts
