:::Archaeology:::

Chapter Summary

Practice Quizzes

The first step of any archaeological excavation is the development of a research design. A research design consists of formulating a clear question to answer, collecting and recording evidence, processing and analyzing that evidence, and the publication of the results.

Archaeologists locate the whereabouts of sites through both ground reconnaissance and aerial reconnaissance. Ground reconnaissance can take several forms including surface survey. Surface survey involves walking across potential sites and noting concentrations of features or artifacts to gain some idea of the site's layout. Aerial reconnaissance is usually done in the form of aerial photography. Photos taken from a kite, balloon, or plane often reveal site features that are not visible on the ground. From these photos, preliminary maps and plans can be made. Satellite imagery is also used to identify sites and site features.

Mapping is the key to the accurate recording of most survey data. GIS (Geographic Information Systems), a collection of computer hardware and software that manages and manipulates geographic data, is one of the primary tools archaeologists use to map sites.

Archaeologists employ several methods of obtaining subsurface information prior to excavation. Some of these methods are non-destructive meaning they do not require ground to be broken during the collection of information. Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), for example, uses radio pulses to penetrate the ground and detect features such as walls. Electrical resistivity and magnetic survey and even metal detectors as well as geochemical techniques are also used to gather information before excavation.

Excavation has a central role in fieldwork as it reveals human activities at a particular period in the past as well as changes in that activity from period to period. Excavation takes into account the law of superposition, namely that if one stratigraphic layer overlies another, the lower was deposited first. Excavation is costly and destructive and should only be undertaken if research questions cannot be answered by non-destructive survey techniques.

Artifacts that share similar attributes are often grouped together and the act of creating such groups is called typology. Groups of artifacts from a particular time and place are called assemblages. These assemblages are often used to define archaeological cultures.

Key Concept Identifications

You should be familiar with the meaning and importance of each of the following terms:

Introduction

Discovering Archaeological Sites and Features

Sampling Strategies

Archaeological Aerial Reconnaissance

Geographic Information Systems

Assessing the Layout of Sites and Features

Excavation

Processing and Classification