Chapter 3: Survey and Excavation of Sites and Features

Question 1

Sites

Answer 1

• 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

Question 2

Single Component

Answer 2

sites with only one occupation

Question 3

Multi Component

Answer 3

sites with complex stratigraphy

Question 4

Arch Survey

Answer 4

• search for and mapping of archaeological traces (sites, artifacts, features) on the landscape
• on surface or from air

Question 5

Pre-survey Strategies

Answer 5

• research before field work
• speaking with local informants (farmers)
• consultation with elders/knowledge keepers about traditional use sites
• consult historical sources, including maps

Question 6

Surface Survey

Answer 6

• pedestrian survey
• test pitting

Question 7

Pedestrian Survey

Answer 7

observation of ground surface for artifacts

ex. dry locations with low vegetation cover, ploughed fields before crops grow

Question 8

Test Pitting

Answer 8

excavation of very small holes and screening for artifacts

ex. vegetated areas, forests

Question 9

Systematic Sampling

Answer 9

• locations at equally spaced set intervals are examined
• every dot lined up perfectly
• transect

Question 10

Transect

Answer 10

very long straight paths of fieldwalking in grids

Question 11

Random Sampling

Answer 11

randomly determined locations are examined

Question 12

Stratified Random Sampling

Answer 12

• area divided into zones (strata)
• random sampling within zones

Question 13

Judgmental

Answer 13

pre-existing knowledge used to determine where to sample

ex. ancient beaches, good agricultural soils, high locations with good views, Gulo-Makeda Ethiopia

Question 14

Topography

Answer 14

• 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

Question 15

Vertical Excavation

Answer 15

exposes the record of sequence of ancient ruins or artifacts

Question 16

Horizontal Excavation

Answer 16

expose the remains of a single point in time

Question 17

Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR)

Answer 17

• 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

Question 18

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Answer 18

hardware, software, and practices relating to the collection, management, and analysis of geospatial data

Question 19

Excavation: Site Assessment Goals

Answer 19

• determine size, age, and structure of sites
• assessment helps build a clearer picture of landscape use and in planning of excavations

Question 20

Non-invasive Site Assessments

Answer 20

• magnetometry
• resistivity
• ground penetrating radar
• metal detecting

Question 21

Magnetometry

Answer 21

• higher/lower moisture content
• fired areas

Question 22

Ground Penetrating Radar

Answer 22

changes in layering with depth

Question 23

Anomalies

Answer 23

• 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

Question 24

Invasive Site Assessments

Answer 24

• surface collection
• excavation of test units

Question 25

Surface Collection

Answer 25

• all artifacts within a 5m square collected
• can determine the age based on artifact styles
• may be able to determine the function

Question 26

Test Units

Answer 26

• small units
• excavated at regular intervals
• artifacts can be used to determine age and function of site

Question 27

Site Excavation

Answer 27

• recovery of artifacts through screening
• selection of screen size has a major impact on the artifacts recovered