Chapter Seven: Dimensions of Archaeology

Question 1

What is conservation? (2)

Answer 1

• conserving the recovered materials

- reconstructing broken pieces

Question 2

What is cataloging? (2)

Answer 2

• accessioning archaeological materials into a catalog to maintain provenience information
• without an organizational catalog, provenience is lost and the research value of the artifact is greatly reduced

Question 3

What are space-time systematics?

Answer 3

patterns in archaeological material through time and across space

Question 4

What is typology? (4)

Answer 4

• systematic arrangement or classification of artifacts into types
• basic unit of analysis is the type or class of artifacts defined by a consistent clustering of attributes
• how you define types is based on the specific context
• classification usually begins in the field with items collected according to large-scale types

Question 5

What are morphological types? (3)

Answer 5

• based on key observations
• based on a range of variability
• purely descriptive with no function or time ascribed to them

Question 6

What are temporal types? (2)

Answer 6

• those morphological types that have been assigned a temporal association
• in Plains typology, many sites in the region with points from dated contexts

Question 7

What are functional types? (2)

Answer 7

• these may or may not have temporal or morphological meaning
• ex: French Middle Paleolithic Period Mousterian scraper typology

Question 8

What are the two critical characteristics of a solid typology?

Answer 8

• minimize differences within types and maximize differences between types
• objective and explicit

Question 9

What are two common similarities and differences in a solid typology?

Answer 9

• shape

- size

Question 10

What are attributes in typology? (3)

Answer 10

• measurable or observable qualities of an object
• ex: length, width, thickness, weight, notched, proximal shoulder angle, etc.
• case study: Great Basin Archaic Period Projectile Point Typology

Question 11

Describe the attributes of the Cottonwood Triangular projectile points. (2)

Answer 11

• weight: <1 g

- no notching

Question 12

Describe the attributes of the Desert Side-notched projectile points. (2)

Answer 12

• weight: <1 g

- side-notched

Question 13

Describe the attributes of the Rosegate Series projectile points. (2)

Answer 13

• weight: 1-2.5 g

- basal-notched or corner-notched

Question 14

Describe the attributes of the Elko Corner-notched projectile points. (2)

Answer 14

• weight: >2.5 g

- PSA: 110-150 degrees

Question 15

Describe the attributes of the Gatecliff Contracting Stem projectile points. (2)

Answer 15

• weight: >2.5 g

- PSA: less than or equal to 100 degrees

Question 16

What role do space-time systematics play in archaeology? (2)

Answer 16

• framework for integrating time and space developed by Gordon Willey and Philip Phillips
• archaeological traditions/cultures represent regional manifestations of particular sets of material culture traits, such as house forms, subsistence strategies, projectile point and ceramic types

Question 17

What are Archaeological Periods? Provide examples from North America. (5)

Answer 17

• lengths of time when particular sets of material cultural traits were in existence
• Paleoindian
• Archaic
• Woodland
• Mississippi

Question 18

What are phases? (4)

Answer 18

• blocks of time characterized by one or more distinct, diagnostic artifact types across limited spaces or regions
• assemblages or collection of archaeological materials that come from a defined context, such as a site, feature, or stratum
• component, stratum, or set of strata presumed to be very similar culturally
• a set of components from various sites in a region make a phase