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Intro to Archaeology > Chapter Three > Flashcards

Chapter Three Flashcards

1
Q

Why do archaeologists survey? (2)

A
  • isolated archaeological sites are single data points, but survey can create regional archaeological data and elucidate patterns
  • single sites cannot tell all about a past society
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2
Q

What is the difference between a settlement pattern and a settlement system?

A
  • settlement pattern: regional pattern archaeological site locations
  • settlement system: movements and activities reconstructed from settlement patterns
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3
Q

What are the main principles of survey? (2)

A
  • generate a representative sample of human behavior and landscape use for a region
  • systematic regional survey: strategies for acquiring accurate descriptions of archaeological materials across a landscape
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4
Q

What are the elements of systematic regional survey? (2)

A
  • statistical population: specific characteristics of archaeological materials to be studied
  • sample universe: study areas that contain the statistical population
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5
Q

What is the difference between a random sample and a stratified random sample?

A
  • random sample: sample of the statistical population that is representative of the whole
  • stratified random sample: sample universe divided into several-sub-universes and sampled at different sample fractions
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6
Q

What are some important factors in creating a random sample? (3)

A
  • sample fraction: % of the sample universe, depends on a lot of variables, such as size and variability
  • sample units: survey units of standard size and shape
  • Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) system to set up grids
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7
Q

What is the purpose of a stratified random sample?

A

calculates and configures sample fractions and units within each sub-universe; wetland, dune field, south valley, northern Stillwater Mountains

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8
Q

What is a site? (2)

A
  • depends on environment, human society, site type, materials left behind…
  • Carson-Stillwater case: surface sites become “lag deposits” thru deflation
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9
Q

How do archaeologists handle all the artifacts they collect? (3)

A
  • production of knowledge vs. destruction of the site
  • collections can become a storage issue
  • GPS & Non-collection surveys
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10
Q

What is Pedestrian Survey? (2)

A
  • systematic search for sites on the landscape using the walk-over method to visually inspect the ground
  • surface visibility must be high, such as greater than 50%
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11
Q

What is Subsurface Survey? (2)

A
  • shovel tests

- auger tests

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12
Q

What is remote sensing? (3)

A
  • use of electromagnetic energy to sense or detect and measure archaeological materials below ground surface
  • electricity, light, heat, radio waves
  • noninvasive archaeology
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13
Q

What are some remote sensing techniques? (3)

A
  • proton magnetometer: measures strength of magnetism between earth’s magnetic core and a sensor controlled by the technician
  • soil resistivity: examines electrical resistance of soils in a restricted volume near the surface of an archaeological site
  • ground-penetrating radar: radar pulses directed into the ground reflect back to the surface when they strike features or stratigraphic contacts, showing presence of approximate depth of the feature
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14
Q

What are Geographical Information Systems (GIS), and how do they work? Provide some examples. (3)

A
  • computer programs for storing, retrieving, and spatially analyzing and displaying cartographic data
  • georeferenced: data input to a GIS database using a common mapping system, such as UTMs
  • examples: ESRI’s, ArcGIS, QGIS, MapInfo, Global Mapper, Surfer, etc.
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15
Q

What is landscape archaeology? Provide an example. (4)

A
  • study of ancient human modification of the environment
  • landscape: material manifestation of the relationship between humans and their environments
  • example: Chacoan roads; Keres Puebloan symbolic landscape
  • John Kantner: GIS Least Cost Path analysis predicts roads should weave around topographic features, so roads must have symbolic meaning
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16
Q

What is provenience, and why does it matter? (3)

A
  • archaeological excavation is destruction, therefore proper documentation is compulsory
  • provenience: an artifact’s precise location relative to a system of spatial data collection
  • context is key; this is the relationship of an artifact, ecofact, or feature to other artifacts, ecofacts, and features as well as the geological layers at the site
17
Q

How long have Native Americans been here? Who has sought to answer this question? (4)

A
  • clear evidence for animals dating to the Ice Age of the Pleistocene geological epoch found in the western hemisphere
  • goal became finding ancient artifacts in unequivocal association with Pleistocene-aged faunal remains
  • George McJunkin
  • Jesse Figgins
18
Q

How did George McJunkin contribute to the Native American question? (3)

A
  • left TX emancipated after the Civil War and moved to Folsom, NM
  • for decades held a position as a foreman at the Crowfoot Ranch near Folsom
  • 1908 discovered bones of Bison antiquus, an extinct, Pleistocene fauna eroding from a gully
19
Q

How did Jesse Figgins contribute to the Native American question? (3)

A
  • directed excavations at Folsom, NM in the 1920s
  • Carle Schwahheim found a stone projectile point in situ with rib bones of Bison antiquus
  • established a Pleistocene antiquity of Native American presence in North America
20
Q

What are some key factors in preservation and excavation? (3)

A
  • excavation is dependent on several key factors, such as research questions, site location, and preservation of perishable items
  • decomposition results from microorganisms in warm, oxygen-rich, wet settings
  • context is everything and excavation techniques must be appropriate to enable proper recordation of context
21
Q

Under what conditions is preservation excellent? Provide examples. (3)

A
  • dry caves and rockshelters (Lovelock Cave, NV)
  • wet, boggy, anaerobic conditions (Ozette site, WA)
  • frozen conditions (Otzi the Iceman)
22
Q

What are the pros and cons of sites such as Lovelock Cave, Ozette, and Otzi’s location in terms of preservation? (3)

A
  • Lovelock Cave lacked moisture, but produces large amounts of materials
  • Ozette site lacked oxygen, but needs special attention during excavation
  • Otzi’s location lacked warmth, but needs special attention in storage
23
Q

What are the principles of excavation? (3)

A
  • test excavation: small initial excavation to determine a site’s potential for answering a research question, primarily “Are there buried deposits here?” typically 1-meter-by-1-meter squares
  • trenches: narrow, yet long excavation to determine the depth of deposits across the site
  • blocks: large, broad excavation, typically in meters by meters to expose features and activity areas across a distinct buried surface on which people lived or a living floor existed
24
Q

What are some tools and techniques archaeologists use to dig? (6)

A
  • datum: zero point, a fixed reference, to set a grid across the site; this provides control over locations of artifacts, ecofacts, and features; it provides provenience of all items excavated
  • natural levels: site’s geological layers or strata
  • strata: homogeneous layers visually separable from other layers by a change in texture, color, rock or organic content, or by sharp breaks in depositional character
  • arbitrary levels: basic vertical subdivision of an excavation square used only when easily recognizable natural strata are lacking or are thick and can be subdivided in this arbitrary fashion for vertical control
  • total station: device using a beam of light bounced off a prism to determine an artifact’s 3D provenience; accurate to millimeters
  • photogrammetry: set of techniques used to obtain precise mathematical measurements and 3D data from digital photographs
25
Q

What is screening? Provide some examples. (4)

A
  • during excavation, sediment is collected in buckets and screened to capture objects that could not be seen in excavation
  • wet/water screening when conditions are already wet or there is a lot of clay in your sediment
  • bulk matrix sorting: when clay or other concretions need to be broken down to separate archaeological materials from the sediment matrix
  • flotation: when searching for very fine ecofacts
26
Q

What is cataloging? (2)

A
  • final step of fieldwork

- constructing a spreadsheet document that reports all key information tied to each object collected in excavation

Intro to Archaeology (10 decks)

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