The Investigation of Ancient Sites & Sources

Question 1

what is the role of archeologists?

Answer 1

to study material remains of the past, investigate sites, and understand the way in which ancient civilisations lived

Question 2

what is archaeology?

Answer 2

the systematic & scientific approach to collecting, classifying, and interpreting artifacts

Question 3

what are 5 examples of archeological sources?

Answer 3

building, statues, pottery, coins, graves/tombs/burials, etc.

Question 4

what does CPR stand for (in an archaeological sense)?

Answer 4

content, perspective (context), and reliablity

Question 5

what is historical dating reliant on?

Answer 5

written records

Question 6

what are the two types of dating and their sub-categories?

Answer 6

relative dating (stratigraphic [currently used], and typology), and absolute dating (radiocarbon, dendrochronology, and thermoluminescence)

Question 7

what are the issues with ancient sources?

Answer 7

only give fragments of the past, bias can give a false representation of the past, and a lack of understanding can lead to mistakes

Question 8

what are the four methods for finding an ancient site?

Answer 8

written evidence, aerial surveying (crop/soil marks/shadow marks), satellite photography, and ground surveying (field walking, ground penetrating radar, magnetic surveying, etc.)

Question 8

what are the limitations of ancient tests?

Answer 8

history is interpretive, and there is minimal understanding of events and language, which can influence a historian’s interpretation