Test 2 Flashcards
Provenience
3D location of artifacts at a Archaeological site
Types of Provenience
General/ Bulk, Point, Feature
General/Bulk Provenience
Approximate location of artifacts at a site
Point Provenience
Exact 3D location of a artifact at a site
Feature
Group of artifacts that are kept together in the same provenience because they have assumed behavioral importance
Master Lot List
List of all proveniences at a Archaeological site
In situ
Exact 3D location of the artifact in the A.C.
Vertical Provenience
The process of excavation is removing sediments (non-cultural) from artifacts
Goal of Excavation
To interpret and isolate floors and occupational surfaces
Stratification
Layering and superposition of natural sediments at a archaeological site
Stratigraphy
Layering and superposition of cultural materials at a archaeological site
System of Excavation
Utilizes zones and levels
Zones
any distinct stratum that can be physically identified (cultural or natural)
Characteristics of a Floor
Flat, Level (horizontal), Hard (compact), Artifacts on top (level plane)
Control Test Pit
Outside of site; Purpose- determines stratification of the site area
Zone
Any discernible layer
Level
Arbitrary layer within a zone
Benchmark
Vertical elevation; not going to move or change
Profile
Drawing of the wall of the excavation unit
How deep do you dig?
Until you hit bedrock, until you hit water, or culturally sterile geological sediment
Types of Deposit
Burial, features, in situ, rubble, floor, midden, and fill
Features
distinctive deposit kept separate from other deposit
in situ
Soil immediately over the floor
rubble
collapsed architecture. walls, roofs, etc.
floor
artifacts lie flat
fill
cultural sediments brought into a site; artifacts at odd angles; non-local origin
Harris matrix
Chart that shows the stratigraphic relationships or strata (zones) at a archaeological site
Flotation
what floats on top is carbonized vexation; seeds and charcoal; carbonized insects
Heavy fraction flotation
Taking pantyhose to get the floating objects
Heavy fraction
things at the bottom; screen through with 1mm best
Archaeological dating technique types
Relative, Chronometric, and Absolute
Relative
Something is older than something else but you don’t know by how much time between the episodes
Chronometric
measure time but our measurement is only statistical approximation
Absolute
You have a actual precise accurate date and time
Types of Relative
Stratigraphic dating, Seriation, Cross dating, Age Area hypothesis
Stratigraphic dating
based on “law os super positioning”; Problem: Reverse stratigraphy; burials too
Seriation
gradually increase in popularity in artifact style; then a gradually decrease in that style when a new style is introduced. “Battleship curves”: popularity curves like a diamond; Problem: you can’t tell which style is first
Cross-dating
Artifacts of known age or date from one area are found in another area of unknown age; Problem: conservatory process; keep artifacts in systemic context longer than usual
Age area hypothesis
Artifacts are invented only once and then spread from the center of origin; the farther you are from the center, the more recent in time; the worst type!
Types of Chronometric dating techniques
Radiocarbon dating, Obsidian hydration, Archaeomagnetism
Radiocarbon dating
14 Carbon; N14 > C14 (protons)> N14 (beta particle); Every 5730 years more or less; Half of carbon left, half disappears; dating death of death of a organism; After 50,000 no more C14> N; Indirect method: burn it to see how many carbons are left based on decay events
Assumptions for Radiocarbon dating
- No difference in rations of 14C/12C in atmosphere at any given time; 2. No difference in decay rate; 3. No difference in the C14-C12 ration in atmosphere through time > False> 1973 confirmed and fixed; 4. No difference in C14/ C12 in aquatics versus aerobic environments> False; 5. Carbon is contemporary
AMS
Spins the carbon around that separates C14 and C12; direct measurement of C14 and C12
Obsidian Hydration
glass absorbs moisture at a given rate
Factors the determine rate of absorption
- Mineral composition; 2. Heat- the heater, the faster; 3.pressure- more pressure, faster the rate; 4. Acid/ Base in soil (pH): higher/ lower the pH the faster the erosion; atmosphere moisture (humidity) does not affect the rate
Archeomagnetism
Magnetic north changes over time
Types of Absolute dating
Calendar, Dendrochronology
Dendrochronology
Tree ring dating; Master sequence for each species and valley; problem: reclamation (process by which artifacts are taken from A.C. back into the S.C.
