Investigation of Ancient History Flashcards
Primary Ancient Sources include:
Written texts
Inscriptions
Archaeological remains
coins
Secondary Ancient sources include:
Textbooks
Paintings
Historical novels
Site reports
Documentaries
Magazine articles
Social media
Virtual reality
Advantages and disadvantges of Primary sources
Advantages: Eye witness, contemporary, accuracy
Disadvantages: Bias, one perspective accuracy
Advantages and disadvantges of Secondary sources
Advantages: Time to collect evidence, analysis of multiple perspectives, hindsight
Disadvantages: May lack empathy, accuracy, love
What is Archaeology?
Archaeology is the study of the human past.
How do you find Archaeological Sites?
Aerial survey:
crop marks?
Soil marks
Shadow marks
Satellite photography
LiDar
Ground survey:
Field walking
Ground penetrating radar (GPR)
Resistivity
magnetometry
Site Preservation: different types of decay?
Different material decay at different rates.
Textiles, papyrus, wood and parchment are very easily destroyed (unlikely to survive except in desert conditions) - heat and absence of moisture prevent decay (acidic soil in peat Bogs help prevent decay/acts like a refrigerator in cold climates).
Gold and silver (under normal conditions) survive; iron rusts and bronze decays (pottery is an invaluable dating tool).
Calcium in soil turns bones to stone.
Destruction of Evidence can include..?
Warfare
Tomb robbers
Pollution
Tourism
Natural factors (plants, rat mice, insects, fungi, bacteria)
Three-Age Dating System is:
Palaeolithic (‘Old Stone’)
Mesolithic (‘Middle Stone’)
Neolithic (‘New Stone’)
Bronze and Iron Ages reflect major phases in culture/technology
Dating Methods:
C-13 dating/Radiocarbon (most useful)
Dendrochronology (age of tree rings)
Thermoluminescence
Fluorine testing
Stratigraphy (layers of soil/other materials from oldest layer at the bottom, ascending up in chronological order)
DNA
Cross-dating
