Chapter 1

Question 1

Survey

Answer 1

map physical remains of human activity

Question 2

In Situ

Answer 2

materials found originated where they were deposited

Question 3

Geological Information Systems (GIS)

Answer 3

allow spatial data to be brought together an consolidated

Question 4

horizontal excavation

Answer 4

excavate broad area in order to expose remains of a single point in time

Question 5

vertical excavation

Answer 5

excavate a significant depth of deposits in order to expose record of a sequence of occupation

Question 6

law of superposition

Answer 6

in any undisturbed depositional sequence, each layer of sediment is younger than the layer beneath it

Question 7

strata

Answer 7

discrete layers in stratigraphic sequence

Question 8

anthropogenic deposits

Answer 8

deposits from human activity

Question 9

depositional unit

Answer 9

the material deposited at a site at a particular point in time

Question 10

provenience

Answer 10

precise context of excavation

Question 11

datum point

Answer 11

important to control excavation. serves as a reference point for depth measurements at site

Question 12

wet screening

Answer 12

spraying water onto a sieve to break up sediments and move them through the mesh to make sure artifacts are recovered during excavation

Question 13

flotation

Answer 13

process used to recover botanical material (wood, seeds) which involves mixing sediments vigorously in water

Question 14

artifacts

Answer 14

objects that are human manufactured

Question 15

ecofacts

Answer 15

objects that are remains from biological organisms or results of geological processes

Question 16

postdepositional processes

Answer 16

events that take place after site is occupied

Question 17

taphonomy

Answer 17

study of processes that affect organic remains after death

Question 18

quantification

Answer 18

methods used by archeologists to represent large quantities of material recovered in excavation and surveys

Question 19

typology

Answer 19

a list used to draw up an inventory of types of artifacts found by archaeologists in a particular archaeological context

Question 20

attribute

Answer 20

characteristics of an artifact

Question 21

absolute chronology

Answer 21

chronology stated in terms of calendar years

Question 22

relative chronology

Answer 22

chronology that places assemblages in a temporal sequence not directly linked to calendar dates

Question 23

seriation

Answer 23

method of comparing the relative frequency of artifact types between contexts

Question 24

Intrasites

Answer 24

having to do with contexts within a single file

Question 25

intersite

Answer 25

comparisons between two or more sites

Question 26

synchronic studies

Answer 26

studies that make comparisons within a single period

Question 27

diachronic studies

Answer 27

studies that make comparisons between different periods and look at processes of change through time