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Archaeology

Archaeology. Searching For Clues About the Past. Hmmmm ….What is it that Archaeologists REALLY do?. What comes to your mind when you think about the work of archaeologists ? What might students think?. The Reality….

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Archaeology

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  1. Archaeology Searching For Clues About the Past

  2. Hmmmm….What is it that Archaeologists REALLY do? • What comes to your mind when you think about the work of archaeologists? • What might students think?

  3. The Reality….. • Archaeology is hard work that encompasses strenuous physical labor, following established procedures, keeping detailed records and conducting intense research

  4. Archaeology: • The study of people through the scientific recovery, analysis, and interpretation of what they left behind

  5. ARCHAEOLOGY

  6. Archaeologists collaborate with other experts…. • Geologists • Astronomers • Botanists • Zoologists • Soil Specialists • Physicists • Chemists • Geneticists • Etc, etc…..

  7. ArchaeologicalMethods

  8. The Basics…. • Archaeology must be done in a careful, organized, methodical manner • Archaeologists use the scientific method so that their work can be compared with other studies • The nature of excavation means that the site will be irrevocably altered from its original state • Archaeological resources are limited and can never be fully reconstructed after being excavated

  9. The Site • The area being investigated by archaeologists

  10. Excavation Unit • Unit: A predetermined and carefully measured and mapped area within a site • This is where the digging happens • Typically, the unit is assigned a coordinate number and careful records are taken during the excavation

  11. Tools of the Trade

  12. Levels: Arbitrary vs. Natural Arbitrary: pre-determined levels Natural: dividing levels by visible soil changes (stratigraphy) Measuring arbitrary levels

  13. Feature • Products of human activity that are typically fixed and non-portable within a site • Examples: trenches, post holes, foundations, fire hearths, trash pits, roads, buildings • Can be identified by soil color changes and patterns

  14. Artifact • Any object that was made, used, or altered by humans

  15. Context • The setting in which an artifact was found • Primary context: a setting where the artifact was originally deposited • Secondary context: a place where an artifact has been moved (an example would be the Cara Merchant….the ship and its contents were moved and scattered by the ocean currents) • This is VERY important information to record • Context holds important clues for archaeologists

  16. Documenting Context Intact pot “in situ” Trench Possible trash pit Trowel Pointing North Trench

  17. Archaeology isn’t JUST about digging….. • Some estimate that for every hour of excavations in the field, 8 hours must be spent in the lab

  18. Examples of Lab Activities • Cleaning, sorting, cataloguing, and analyzing artifacts • Examining artifacts and context in order to date sites • Microscopic analysis • Piecing broken objects back together (or attempting to!) • Gathering data for reports

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