Archaeology Ch 2

Question 1

ecofacts

Answer 1

non-artifactual organic and environmental remains that have cultural relevance. (ex faunal and floral material, as well as sediments) it includes human skeletons and animal bones.

Question 2

features

Answer 2

a non-portable artifact eg. hearths, architectural elements, or soil stains

Question 3

tell

Answer 3

A Near Eastern term that refers to a mound site formed through successive human occupation over a very long timespan.

Question 4

matrix

Answer 4

the physical material within which artifacts are embedded or supported (gravel, clay, sand)

Question 5

provenience

Answer 5

the place of origin or (earliest) known history of something; also the horizontal and vertical position of an artifact, ecofact, or feature within a matrix.

Question 6

association

Answer 6

the co-occurrence of an artifact with other archaeological remains, usually in the same matrix.

Question 7

formation processes

Answer 7

those processes affecting the way in which archaeological materials came to be buried, and their subsequent history afterwards. Cultural formation processes include the deliberate or accidental activities of humans; natural or environmental events that govern the burial and survival of the archaeological record.

Question 8

taphonomy

Answer 8

the study of processes that have affected organic materials, such as bone after death; it also involves the microscopic analysis of tooth marks or cut marks to assess the effects of butchery or scavenging activities.

Question 9

cultural formation processes

Answer 9

involve the deliberate or accidental activities of human beings as they make or use artifacts, build or abandon things, plow their fields, etc.

Question 10

non cultural formation processes / natural

Answer 10

natural events that govern both the burial and survival of the archaeological record

Question 11

experimental archaeology

Answer 11

the study of past behavioral processes through experimental reconstruction under carefully controlled scientific conditions

Question 12

Human behavior is reflected archaeologiclally in at least 4 major activities:

Answer 12

1) Acquisition of rawmaterial
2) manufacture
3) use (and distribution)
4) disposal or discard when tool is worn out or broken

Question 13

hoards

Answer 13

deliberately buried groups of valuables or prized possessions, often in times of conflict and war, and that, for one reason or another, have not been reclaimed. Metal hoards are a primary source of evidence for the European bronze Age.

Question 14

What are the most inorganic materials to survive?

Answer 14

stone, clay, metals

Question 15

What common metals corrode?

Answer 15

Copper and iron

Question 16

electrolysis

Answer 16

a standard cleaning process. Artifacts are placed in a chemical solution, and by passing a weak current between them and a surrounding metal grill, the corrosive salts move from the cathode (object) to the anode (grill), removing any accumulated deposit and leaving the artifact clean.

Question 17

Survival of organic materials is determined by

Answer 17

matrix and climate, and natural disasters (also extremes of dry, cold, and wet climates)

Question 18

Dry environments

Answer 18

great aridity or dryness prevents decay through the shortage of water, which ensures that many destructive micro-organisms are unable to flourish (Ex. Tut)

Question 19

Cold environments

Answer 19

Natural refridgeration can hold the processes of decay in check for thousands of years,

Question 20

Waterlogged environments

Answer 20

wetland sites include lakes, swamps, marshes, fens, and peat bogs. Organic materials are sealed in a wet and airless environment that favors their preservation, as long as waterlogging is more or less permanent up to the time of excavation.