Ch 9 Dimensions of Archaeology

Question 1

Archaeology

Answer 1

“Patterns in the form (shape, size, colour, decoration, etc.) of artifacts and features through time and space”

• Reflects human behaviour and culture

Question 2

Goal of Archaeology

Answer 2

• To reconstruct and explain the past
• What did people do?
• Why did they do it?

Question 3

Material Remains

Answer 3

• Left behind by people
• When and where first
• Then comes the how, who, what, and why

Question 4

Artifact

Answer 4

• An object produced or shaped by humans (or our ancestors)

- Not a natural object

Question 5

Feature

Answer 5

“Evidence of human activity at an archaeological site”

• Trash pits (middens)
• Hearths (fireplaces)
• Walls, ditches, pathways, etc.
• Usually non-movable

Question 6

After Excavation:

Conservation

Answer 6

“The preservation of artifacts or features in a way that allows maximum information to be retrieved today and in the future”

• Ex. Cleaning off dirt, chemical embedding, temperature- humidity controlled storage, removing mold/fungus, mending broken pieces, etc.

Question 7

After Excavation:

Cataloging

Answer 7

• Every single item must be labelled in such a way that its provenience is retained

Question 8

Provenience

Answer 8

• The source, origin, or location of an artifact or feature and the recording of same
  • Once lost can never be recovered and greatly decreases the informational value of the artifact/feature

Question 9

Typology

Answer 9

• Systematic arrangement of material cultures into types based on physical characteristics
• Simple categories: stone, bone, ceramic, organic, brick, wood, cloth, metal, etc.

Question 10

Morphological Types

Answer 10

• Grouping of artifacts based on appearance rather than function or time period
• Ex. projectile points, they are based solely on their shape

Question 11

Temporal Types

Answer 11

• A morphological type that has temporal significance

- Ex. time marker or index fossil

Question 12

Functional Types

Answer 12

• A class of artifacts that performed the same function in the past
• May or may not be morphological or temporal types

Question 13

Gatecliff- Projectile Points:

Classification (3)

Answer 13

1970, deepest rock excavation site in the USA
Weight
• Three clusters emerged: small, medium, large
Notch position
• Presence vs. absence; notch location (side)
Stem form
• “proximal shoulder angle” - to operationalize expanding vs. contracting stems

Question 14

Good Typology

Answer 14

1. Minimize differences within and maximize difference between
   - Avoid overlapping and ambiguity as much as possible
2. Objective and explicit
   - Result is replicable, and system can be used by others

Question 15

Ontario Archaeological Society

Answer 15

• Ontario’s archaeological heritage is a vital part of our collective past
• Essential dimension to understanding the places and spaces we live, love and work at today
• Many past generations of ancestors shaped the place and history we call Ontario today

Question 16

Dividing Time:

Periods vs. Phases

Answer 16

Periods
- Divide prehistory into periods based on gross changes in easily observable, major, archaeological remains
Phases
- Regions within a culture area do not change at the same time
- Phases are blocks of time characterized by one or more distinctive artifact type that is limited to a brief period of time

Question 17

Assemblage

Answer 17

• Archaeological sites consist of collections of artifacts from various spatial areas (often called units)
  • A site’s projectile point or ceramic assemblage
• Artifacts may come from different layers or strata
  • A particular stratum’s assemblage

Question 18

Component

Answer 18

• A stratum or set of strata at a site that is culturally homogenous (dates to the same time-period)