Unit 6 : Archaeological and Palaeoanthropological Methods

Question 1

Describe site identification used by archaeologists and palaeoanthropologists

Answer 1

• To identify sites they go out into the regions themselves and do inspection of the land and conduct surveys of the region

Question 2

Describe excavation used by archaeologists and palaeoanthropologists

Answer 2

• The first step is to acquire permission to excavate from both local and national authorities.
• Then they clear the land and plot site as a grid system. so they can record exactly from which square they recovered anything they do.

Question 3

Describe lab methods used by archaeologists and palaeoanthropologists

Answer 3

• they spend at least 3 hours of lab time for every hour in the field
• they first clean and catalogue all artifacts before doing any sort of analysis
• lab work can provide more information into the history, with things like what material the object is made of and where it was obtained .

Question 4

Outline how materials are preserved in the archaeological record and how they become fossilized

Answer 4

• There are several ways to preserve materials such as , the whole animal may be frozen in ice , natural resins exuding from evergreen trees may enclose an organism allowing it to later become hardened and fossilized as amber.
• Fossilization occurs most frequently among marine animals and other creatures living near water.
• Shells and other parts of organisms are covered and completely enclose by the soft waterborne sediments that eventually harden into shale and limestone.

Question 5

Distinguish between relative and chronometric dating and describe examples of each

Answer 5

• Relative dating is when scientist date remains by noting their position in the earth by measuring the amount of chemicals contained in fossil bones or by association with other plant, animal or cultural remains.
• Chronometric dating is when scientists provide actual dates calculated in years “Before the present (BP)”

Question 6

Explain why archaeologists must assume that the organization and structure of the archaeological record reflects the behavior of humans in the past

Answer 6

• this is because there is a pattern to all the records and the newer records will also reflect a pattern on the behavior of humans