The Archaeological Record

Context and Variability Transformation Processes Modification

What is the Archaeological Record?

Traces

of the Human past. Affected by the age of the material, preservational environment, excavation technique. The archaeological record is patterned by human activities and the natural environment. Includes artifacts, ecofacts, features.

Soil vs. Sediment

Soil

develops during stable periods of a landscape.

Paleosols are soil profiles that formed in the past and are buried by more recent deposition. These paleosols represent stable surfaces in the past and can have archaeological sites associated with them.

Sediments

are soils that are brought to an area through wind, water, etc.

Geoarchaeology

Geoarchaeologist examining column sample

Artifacts
Anything

humans. Includes stone tools, pottery, bone objects, etc.

used, made or modified by

Stone Pipe-ca. 2,000 BP North America

Colonoware-Early African American Pottery

Clovis Points-ca. 11,000 BP North America

Ecofacts
Material

that provides information about the environments of the past. These are usually things that were used but not modified by humans in the past. Includes nutshells, animal bone, botanical remains, etc.

Burnt Wood

Animal bone

Human Remains

http://www.ikonosheritage.org/introCourse/theory/archaeology/spring/documents/04-ArchaeologySession2-01.pdf

Roman Cemetery, Italy

http://www.ips.siu.edu/SA/bioarchaeology.html

Microscopic Analysis

http://www.le.ac.uk/ulas/services/human_remains.html

Features
Non-portable

activity. These include things like hearths, structures, burials, etc.

evidence of past human

Postholes

Stone Box Grave Feature

Hearth-Zhoukoudien, China ca. 1 million years BP

Late Medieval Hearth and floor

Stone House-Ireland

http://www.ikonosheritage.org/introCourse/theory/archaeology/spring/documents/04-ArchaeologySession2-01.pdf

Sites
The

previously mentioned materials make up what archaeologists call sites. Sites are areas of past human activity and can vary from being very small and ephemeral to very large.

Pre-Clovis Site: Cactus Hill, VA

Middle Eastern Tell

Novgorod Viking site: Paved Streets

Tomb of the Terra Cotta Soldiers: Emperor Chin

Meadowcroft Rockshelter PA

Context
Context

is one of the most important concepts in archaeology. Context is a the relationship of archaeological materials at a site and is comprised of provenience, matrix and association.
Provenience is the exact location of an artifact. Matrix is the material in which something is found. Association is the spatial relationships between artifacts, ecofacts, features, structures and sites.

Variability
Variability

in the archaeological record is affected by preservation and scale. Some variability is reflected well in the archaeological record-like the variability of pyramids in Egypt. Other variability is not-like the variability in moccasin styles of prehistoric people.

Site Formation Processes

Taphonomy
The

study of natural processes from the time something dies and is deposited until it is recovered as part of an archaeological site. Takes into account all of the materials to understand why the materials/objects are they way they are. Note: Not everything from an archaeological site is necessarily part of that sites occupation or use.

Taphonomy

Transformation Processes
Cultural

Natural

Recycling Reuse Loss Discard Abandonment Burial

Weathering Erosion Deposition

Cultural Transforms (C-Transforms)

Applying

uniformitarianism: processes acting today acted the same in the past. Recycling
Recycling a discarded object into something new.
Reuse

Reusing a discarded object.

Also

Loss, Discard, Abandonment, Burial

Natural Transforms (N-Transforms)

Natural

processes (weathering, erosion, soil deposition) affect cultural materials. These processes are usually very dynamic, but can also apply the concept of uniformitarianism.

Natural Transforms
Environment

etc. Objects can be more through wind, water and soil movements. Weathering affects objects and operates at different rates. Deposition, erosion and deflation are all natural processes.

can affect color, weight, size,

http://www.ikonosheritage.org/introCourse/theory/archaeology/spring/documents/04-ArchaeologySession2-01.pdf