**Ellis, Classical Archaeology, Encyclopedia of Archaeology, 2008
What is Archaeology? Study of past human life and activities by the recovery and examination of...
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Transcript of What is Archaeology? Study of past human life and activities by the recovery and examination of...
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What is Archaeology?
Study of past human life and activities by the recovery and examination of remaining material evidence.
It is a sub field of anthropology - study of humans both past and present.
Supplies the information that written history leaves out.
Archaeologists DO NOT:
Study dinosaurs. Just look for pretty or
valuable objects. Just pick up artifacts. Spend all their time
just digging. Buy, sell, or put a
price on artifacts.
The Evidence
PotteryStone artifactsAnimal bonesInsects, snails and fishHuman remains and teethPollenPlant remains
How Does it Survive?
Many factors affect an artifact’s survival:ClimateType of soilSpeed at which something is buriedExtent to which they are disturbed
after burial.Organic or inorganic
Organic Materials
Require special conditions in order to survive.
Hot and dryExtremely cold/frozenWaterlogged environments - bogs,
wells, bodies of water.
Bad Conditions
Tropical climatesRainforests grow rapidly
Acidic SoilDestroy bone and wood
Relative Dating Methods
Used for getting an approximate age.
Stratigraphy the study of rock layers and their
relative ages. Law of Superposition - rocks in the
deepest layers are older than the rocks near the surface.
Some layers take longer to form than others. Ex: shale vs. sand
Biostratigraphy
Helps determine the dates of rock layers based on the fossils found within.
Works with stratigraphy. Based on sequence of change for
various animals.Ex: Pigs’ molar teeth
Absolute Dating
Used to get specific dates of artifacts using scientific methods.
Tree ring dating Each ring represents one year. Thinner rings indicate a poor growth
season. Useful for identifying environmental
patterns.
Carbon-14
Type of radioactive dating method. All living things contain carbon-14 (C-14). Upon death, C-14 begins to disappear. After 5730 years, half of it has decayed. Cannot be used on objects older than
50 000 years.
Potassium-argon (K-Ar)
Type of radioactive dating Decays into argon gas in volcanic
rocks. Much like C-14, except slower rate
of decay. Takes 1.3 billion years for half of
the original to decay.
Thermoluminescence
Useful for dating pottery, flint rocks,cooking hearths, etc.
Pottery contains radioactive elements that escape in the form of light energy when heated to 500º C or more.
To determine the date, a sample is reheated and TL measured.
Suitable for objects up to 80 000 years old.