Term
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Definition
Make explicit at outset of research what their objects are and what their plan of campaign will be.
1. Formulation of research strategy to resolve a particular Q or test a hypothesis or idea
2. Collecting and recording of evidence against which to rest that idea, usually by organization of team or of specialists and conducting of fieldwork- whether survey or excavation or both.
3. Processing and analysis of evidence and its interpretation in the light of the original idea to be tested
4. Publication of results in articles, books, etc. |
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Term
| Unsystematic Surface Survey |
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Definition
People walking around the surface taking notes of artifacts and such
-Seen as biased and misleading because walkers have inherent desire to find material
-Therefore tend to concentrate on those areas that seem richer rather than obtaining a sample rep. of whole area that would enable the -ologist to assess varying distribution of material of different periods or types.
-Flexible, enabling the team to focus greater efforts on the areas that have proved most likely to contain finds. |
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Term
| Systematic Surface Survey |
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Definition
Grid system or series of equally spaced traverses or transects. Tends to be more liable from long-term projects
-Using an organized "system" to find and ID sites
-Grid systems: pay over grid over entire data universe, sample chosen among grid units
-Square grid
-Hexagonal grid: better for calculating certain sites; theoretically nice but not very practical.
-Transect systems: samples taken from locations along intersect at regular, random, or continuous intervals
-Organized perpendicular to direction of geological belts
-Transects used frequently when trying to study the distribution of a phenomenon with respect to a known environmental gradient (e.g. temp.)
-Spot systems: usually done by an individual and involves 100% coverage within the "spot"
= Any kind of system is better if it's better for what your purpose is.
-Grid and spot are usually "arbitrary" with respect to data
-Transects +/- arbitrary |
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Term
LIDAR
(Light Detection and Radar) |
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Definition
| Laser scanner that rapidly pulses a series of beams to the ground, measures time taken for these to return to the aircraft an accurate pic of the ground in the form of a digital elevation model is created. |
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Term
Sideways-Looking Airborne Radar
(SLAR) |
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Definition
| Remote sensing technique, involves recording in radar images the return of pulses of electromagnetic radiation sent out from a flying aircraft. |
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Term
Geographic Information Systems
(GIS) |
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Definition
| Collection of comp. hardware and software and of geographic data, designed to obtain, store, manage, manipulate, analyze and display a wide range of info. |
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Term
Standing Wave Technique
Ground Penetrating Radar |
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Definition
Employs a device which produces and amplifies Rayleigh waves by striking the ground softly and repeatedly.
Detects changes in sediment TEXTURE below surface |
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Term
Thermal prospection
(Thermography) |
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Definition
Based on weak variations on temp. which can be found above buried structures whose thermal properties are different from those of their surroundings.
-Primarily used on very long or massive structures. |
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Term
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Definition
| Taking samples of soil at intervals from the surface of a site and its surroundings and measure their elemental content. |
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Term
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Definition
Using a twig, copper road, coathanger, pendulum, or some such instrument and waiting for it to move.
-Been used for 50yrs, but not taken very seriously. |
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Term
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Definition
| Controlled archaeological test site, constructed by US Army to train and research in geophysical applications in archaeology. |
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Term
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Definition
-Purposes of excavation: yields the most reliable evidence for the two main kinds of information archaeologists are interested in
-Human activities at a particular period in the past
-Changes in those activities from period to period
=Contemporary activities take place horizontally in space whereas changes in those activities occur vertically through time.
-This concept forms the basis of most excavation methodology.
-One can divide excavation techniques into:
-Those that emphasize the horizontal dimension, by opening up large areas of a particular layer to reveal the spatial relationships between artifacts and features in that layer.
-Those that emphasize the vertical dimension, by cutting into deep deposits to reveal stratification |
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Term
Attributes
-Technological
-Surface
-Shape |
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Definition
Characterization of artifacts
-Surface attributes: decoration and color
-Shape attributes: dimensions as well as shape itself
-Technological attributes: primarily raw material |
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Term
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Definition
Function of response of a physical object w/in dynamic system of behavior
-Ceramics (used right now cooking food)
-Soil: domesticated corn, being planted and tended to… |
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Term
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Definition
Physical remains that have "exited" systemic context and become part of the static geological record
-Ceramics (portion of it from hundreds of years ago)
-Soil: ancient soil |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
E.g. discard, abandonment, loss
-Agencies that "convert" phys objects from systemic to archaeo. context
-Sometimes called "cultural transformation" |
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Term
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Definition
E.g. redeposition, bioturbation
-Agencies that "distort" the characteristics of phys. objects in archaeo. context
-Modification and preservation (destruction) of the archaeo. record |
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Term
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Definition
-Exiting systemic context
-Predispositional process = before burial
-Postdepositional process = after burial
-Site formation -> think like a geologist
-How do sediments accumulate, and how are they transformed and destroyed? |
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Term
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Definition
-Fragmented solid materials that have been transported and deposited by some agency and that forms loose unconsolidated layers
-Transport -> energy -> burial |
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Term
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Definition
-Source -> Weathering erosion -> transport -> deposition -> sink
-Probability that materials are transformed varies with
-Where human behavior is in source-sink system
-AND depositional environment |
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Term
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Definition
| Sites found in high-energy environments are most likely to be predispositionally and postdispositionally disturbed |
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Term
| Post-Depositional Processes |
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Definition
-Physical/mechanical forces that destroy/mix sedimentary particles
-Gravity, sediment compaction, faulting
-Chemical reactions
-Groundwater dissolution
-Biotic agents (organisms) that physically and chemically
-Burrowing, excavating, consumption
-Cultural agents that physically and chemically |
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Term
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Definition
| Sedimentary units that are in the process of being buried |
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Term
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Definition
Sediments that are NOT in the process of being buried are therefore in the process of weathering
-Sedimentary particles are being broken down by phys, chem, and biotic agents
-Soil formation is the outcome of weathering of stable sediments |
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Term
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Definition
Methods used to locate and ID archaeological sites both at surface and subsurface
-Locate and identify |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
| Record info from sub-surface |
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Term
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Definition
Recon at a distance- site location and ID from a distance.
-Useful if large areas need to be covered
-Necessary to detect large or subtle features.
-Or if sites/features to be examined are too large to be observed or analyzed from close perspective.
-Ground survey: hard to detect large features of great significance. |
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Term
| Issues with Remote Sensing |
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Definition
-Resolution: the min. unit of measurement at which two objects can be distinguished
-Low res: minimum large (100km pixel)
-High res: minimum small (10m pixel)
-Resolution decreases with observation distance
-Distance: lost detail
-Close-up: lost coarse pattern. |
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