Chapter 3: Survey and Excavation of Sites and Features Flashcards
Sites
- small to city-sized
- year round or seasonal
- focused use/special use or general use
- single-component or multi-component
- very ancient to last week
Single Component
sites with only one occupation
Multi Component
sites with complex stratigraphy
Arch Survey
- search for and mapping of archaeological traces (sites, artifacts, features) on the landscape
- on surface or from air
Pre-survey Strategies
- research before field work
- speaking with local informants (farmers)
- consultation with elders/knowledge keepers about traditional use sites
- consult historical sources, including maps
Surface Survey
- pedestrian survey
- test pitting
Pedestrian Survey
observation of ground surface for artifacts
ex. dry locations with low vegetation cover, ploughed fields before crops grow
Test Pitting
excavation of very small holes and screening for artifacts
ex. vegetated areas, forests
Systematic Sampling
- locations at equally spaced set intervals are examined
- every dot lined up perfectly
- transect
Transect
very long straight paths of fieldwalking in grids
Random Sampling
randomly determined locations are examined
Stratified Random Sampling
- area divided into zones (strata)
- random sampling within zones
Judgmental
pre-existing knowledge used to determine where to sample
ex. ancient beaches, good agricultural soils, high locations with good views, Gulo-Makeda Ethiopia
Topography
- the study of the forms and features of land surfaces
- differences of topy related to human activity and soil or moisture because of what is buried
- all of these are large features; aerial survey works best in unforested regions
ex. mounds, ancient canals, pyramids
Vertical Excavation
exposes the record of sequence of ancient ruins or artifacts
Horizontal Excavation
expose the remains of a single point in time
Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR)
- infra red laser pulses sent from a sensor (mounted on an aircraft)
- measure the amount of time elapsed for the reflection of the pulse back to the sensor
- can produce a 3-D model of the topographic variation in the earth’s surface
- can strip out the vegetation
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
hardware, software, and practices relating to the collection, management, and analysis of geospatial data
Excavation: Site Assessment Goals
- determine size, age, and structure of sites
- assessment helps build a clearer picture of landscape use and in planning of excavations
Non-invasive Site Assessments
- magnetometry
- resistivity
- ground penetrating radar
- metal detecting
Magnetometry
- higher/lower moisture content
- fired areas
Ground Penetrating Radar
changes in layering with depth
Anomalies
- group of stones, usually standing, which cannot be classified as any other known archaeological monument
- results show anomalies
- reason for the anomaly can’t be determined without excavation
Invasive Site Assessments
- surface collection
- excavation of test units
Surface Collection
- all artifacts within a 5m square collected
- can determine the age based on artifact styles
- may be able to determine the function
Test Units
- small units
- excavated at regular intervals
- artifacts can be used to determine age and function of site
Site Excavation
- recovery of artifacts through screening
- selection of screen size has a major impact on the artifacts recovered
