Introduction to Archaeology: Field Methods, Theory, and Dating

Techniques

Required web links

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2007/07/iceman/hall-text

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wR1IjOVWI7Y

http://www.theonion.com/articles/archaeological-dig-uncovers-ancient-race-of-skelet,1268/

This is satire

What is Archaeology?• The study of the human past through

material evidence of humans—”the archaeological record.”

• Archaeologists attempt to reconstruct and interpret the cultural change and variation of the human past.

• (It is more than just finding stuff.)

Archaeology is not about fossil or dinosaurs

Objects alone do not help us much

• When things are found in “context”, in their original setting, we gain a much more information.

• Context, means where an artifact is found. Not just the place, but the soil, the site type, the layer the artifact came from, what else was in that layer.

Archaeologist conduct field work to find material remains in context.

Once an object is in the museum it is much harder to understand the context

Archaeological site is like a “crime scene” (but without the crime).

If the evidence has been disturbed, it is harder to understand what occurred there in the past.

Why do archaeologists dislike the art market?

Price Realized $5,040 (Set Currency) Estimate $5,500 - $7,500

Price Realized $2,640 (Set Currency) Estimate $1,500 - $1,800

Art markets encourage looting.Looting destroys context.

Many of the objects in the art world come from looting. Where else would they come from? Archaeologists do not sell their artifacts. Lootersdestroy sites to get objects to sell.

How does looting destroy contexts?

Why do archaeologists discourage private collections?

Private collections destroy

context, since most of their

objects come from looters.

These objects have lost their culture setting, and the amount of information that we can gain from them is great reduced.

Archaeology is not about finding things, its about thinking about the things that you find.

What do thesethings tell us about the past?

What new information do these object yield to enhance our understand of the past ?.

What Do Archaeologists Do?

What Do Archaeologists Do?

We also excavate.

We conduct a LOT of lab work to examine and reconstruct the artifacts we have recovered in the field.

Publish papers and give presentations on our findings and interpretations

Major Theoretical Objectives of Archaeology Over Time

Early Archaeology (until the 1960s)– Focus on collecting material remains, reconstructing

culture history. (What happened)

1960’s—Processual Archaeology– Attempt to explain the cultural processes that led to

ways of life and material cultures. “Why do states develop?” (Why did these things happen)

– Sought to make archaeology an objective, empirical science.

•1980+ Postprocessual or interpretive archaeology– Importance of human agency and ideas– (who was responsible)

Fieldwork: Survey & Excavation

Field Survey = Walking

. The general goal of a regional survey is to map the locations of sites over a large area and then compare changes through time

1000 AD

1300 AD

Regional SurveysProvide a small amount of information about a large number of sites.

They are far less expensive than excavations, but more general results.

1. Location of the sites

2. Sizes of the sites

3. History of occupation

Field Survey: Aerial and Satellite Imagery

With tools such as google earth, these studies are growing very quickly

Field Survey: Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR)

These kinds of tools are also being used more and more.

Floor

Vault of large crypt

X pattern of wavesshowing an empty space

My work in Lima (Peru).Trying to find a crypt beneath a church

Types of Archaeological Excavation:

Vertical and Horizontal

Believe it or not, how you dig will get you different kinds of information

Vertical Excavation•Deep cross-section through multiple time periods

•Goal is to understand chronology and culture change over time

Stratigraphy is the key

Stratigraphy

Profiles can be hard to understand but they are critical to understand for the context of the objects you find

Profiles show a slice of what occurred at the site, as one action buries another.

Horizontal Excavation•Broad areal exposure of a layer from a single time period

•Goal is to understand site function and use of space during a single time period

With excavations you get a lot of information about very small areas.

They are very costly

Survey or Excavation ?

It all depends on what questions you are asking.

Which is better ?

Remember: Archaeology is not about finding things, its about thinking about the things that you find.

Three Main Components of Archaeological Sites

1. Artifacts

2. Ecofacts

3. Features

1

2Pollen grains

3

ArtifactAny object created or modified by human action

EcofactAn unmodified natural item that humans have used or affected (eg animal remains, pollen grains).

These are especially important when asking questions about diet or climate

FeatureImmovable objects: structures, floors, trash layers, pit, etc.

Features generally provide a great deal of information about the context of the site.

Formation of Archaeological Sites

What is the history of a site, in other words, how did a site become a site?

Pompeii

Catastrophic Destruction & Burial

These are extremely rare.

Destruction: Raiding and

Warfare

These are also extremely rare.

This shrine was burnt in 1570 AD

Gradual or Planned Abandonment

These are extremely common.

Places where garbage was dumped

Trash Middens

These are extremely common.

Conditions Affecting

Preservation

Very cold, very wet, very dry are all good for preservation

wet dry

cold

The Ice Man, Ötzi

See the required video for this week.

Dating Methods:

Relative Dating vs. Absolute Dating

Relative Dating• Stratigraphy (law of superposition)

younger

older

Absolute Dating

• Radiocarbon (carbon-14, C14) Dating

• Potassium-Argon (K-Ar) Dating

• Dendrochronology Dating

Radiocarbon Dating

• After death C-14 decays into N-14

• Half-life is 5,730 years

• Ok for things less than 30,000 years old

• The objects must be• organic (having once lived:

plants, animals, etc)

Potassium-Argon Dating• Potassium (K) decays into Argon (Ar)

• Half-life is 1.3 million years

• Good for dates in the millions of years

• You do not date the object, but instead the ash

Dendrochronology

An excellent dating method, but is only used in areas of good wood preservation.

Political Systems

Un-centralized (Egalitarian)

Centralized(non-egalitarian)

Bands Tribes Chiefdoms States

Elman Service 1960’s

ARCHAEOLOGY AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL METHODS

Important terms•archaeology•relative dating•stratigraphy•absolute dating•radiocarbon dating•potassium argon dating•dendrochronology•context•artifact•ecofact•feature•fieldwork•survey•excavation

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