Archaeology Flashcards
What is an artefact?
An object that is made by humans and that comes for the past, jewellery, weapons and buildings.
What is archeology?
The study of remains left from people from the past.
How do objects end up in the ground?
Something’s are lost
Objects are placed in the ground for safe keeping and then forgotten about
In pre-Christian times when people died gold or goods were placed in the tombs with them
Buildings were abandoned and over time covered in soil.
How are sites chosen to be excavated?
Some sites are chosen because there is evidence that objects could be found.
How do archaeologists excavate a site?
Aerial photographs are used to show the size of the site and to find any unfounded objects in the ground.
What tools do archaeologists use to find objects in the ground?
They use a trowel to scrap away layers of the earth
They use a hand pick to loosen the soil
They use brushes to get dirt off any old object found
Timber poles
A square dark patch
A layer of darker soil
All mean
Timber poles= used for building houses leave dark round patches called post holes
A square dark patch= suggests a fireplace
A layer of darker soil= may mean site was destroyed by a fire
How do archaeologists decide how old a object is?
They record and date what they have found, all objects are bagged and labeled.
Stratigraphy
Dates objects by the depth of which they are found, the deeper an object is found the older it is
Carbon dating
Used to find the date of an object that once lived. Telling how old a person was by their teeth and Skelton!
Dendrochronology
Used to date wooden objects such as buildings or logs.
What can archeologists learn from a Skelton?
The gender of a man or woman
How old they were when they died
The height of the person
There cause of death
