Chapter 1: Getting Started in Archaeology Flashcards
Archaeology - quiz 1
a science that examines the depths of the human past
Survey
- an archaeological survey maps the physical remains of human activity
- must be designed with goals of project in mind
Purpose of survey
- to discover sites
- to understand the distributions in regions and where activities took place
- to determine whether sites will be destroyed by construction
In situ
archaeological material considered to be in situ when found in the place where it was originally deposited
Geographical info systems (GIS)
suites of software apps that allow spatial data to be brought together and combined
Horizontal excavation
goal is to excavate a broad area in order to expose the remains of a single point in time
Vertical excavation
- goal is to excavate a significant depth of deposits in order to expose the record of a sequence of occupations
- analyze the sequence of deposits or stratigraphy of the site
Law of superposition
- in any undisturbed depositional sequence, each layer of sediments is younger than the layer beneath it
- continuous and discontinuous sequences
- does not necessarily apply to metamorphic or igneous rocks
Strata
discontinuous layer in a stratigraphic sequence which include rocks, sediments and fossils
Stratigraphic section/profile
the exposure left by a cut or by natural erosion
Buried archaeological sites
form in depositional environments
Anthropogenic deposits
produced by human activities ranging from building fires on temporary hunter-gatherer camp sites to building the palaces and fortifications of great cities
Provenience
the precise context in which an object is recovered in an excavation
Datum point
- the linchpin for the control of excavation
- serves as a reference point for all depth measurements on the site
Grid square tools
- theodolite
- digital surveying equipment
Theodolite
measure both distance and elevation relative to a given point
Digital surveying equipment
allows precise recording and automatic storage of spatial data
Baulk
- half-meter area standing around each excavation square to provide profiles
- allow movement to not walk on newly exposed deposits
- keeps records of the stratigraphy
Wet screening
the process of spraying water onto a sieve to break up sediments and move them through the mesh to make sure that all artifacts are recovered during an excavation
Flotation
- the process used to recover botanical material (wood and seeds) that involves mixing sediments vigorously in water
- in the process, charred remains of seeds and wood float to the surface, while the mineral sediments settle to the bottom
- the charred botanical material can then be skimmed off and dried for analysis
Depositional unit - quiz 1
- aka locus/stratigraphic feature
- the material deposited at a site at a particular point in time
- individual recording sheets which includes: maps at various stages of excavation, stratigraphic sections and descriptions of contents
- include walls, floors and infill of pits
- walls and buildings treated separately
Cultural resource management (CRM)
public archaeology carried out with the goal of mitigating the effects of development on archaeological resources
3 phases in CRM
identification, evaluation and treatment
Ecofacts
objects recovered from an archaeological context that are either the remains of biological organisms or the results of geological processes
3 biological analysis
- faunal analysis
- paleoethnobotany
- human osteoarchaeology
Photogrammetry
is software that creates a similar 3D model using multiple images taken with a digital camera
Postdepositional processes
events that take place after a site has been occupied
Taphonomy
the study of the processes that affect organic remains after death
Typology
a list used to draw up an inventory of types of artifacts found by archaeologists in a particular archaeological context
Attribute
a particular characteristic of an artifact
Absolute chronology
calendar years
Relative chronology
places assemblages in a temporal sequence not directly linked to calendar dates
Intrasite
comparisons of contexts within a single site
ex. comparing sizes and contents of different houses to determine the social structure of a society
Intersite
comparisons of contexts between two or more sites
ex. comparing the number of houses between sites in a region
Quantification
represent the large quantities of material recovered in excavations and surveys
Seriation
comparing the relative frequency of artifact types between contexts
