Archaeology Can You Dig It?

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 Pottery Stone artifacts Animal bones Insects, snails and fish Human remains and teeth Pollen Plant remains

How Does it Survive? Many factors affect an artifact’s survival: Climate Type of soil Speed at which something is buried Extent to which they are disturbed after burial. Organic or inorganic

Organic Materials Require special conditions in order to survive. Hot and dry Extremely cold/frozen Waterlogged environments - bogs, wells, bodies of water.

Bad Conditions Tropical climates Rainforests grow rapidly Acidic Soil Destroy 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 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 years old.

Archaeology Terms Systematic: A consistent way of studying anything. Science: Methods and knowledge of studying anything. Recovery/ Analysis: To collect and study artifacts. Artifact: Any item resulting from human activity.

Archaeology Terms Question-based: Archaeologists study artifacts in order to answer questions about how humans lived. Past: Archaeologists study human cultures that are no longer living. Culture: Any learned behavior that is shared with others.

History of Archaeology The first archaeologists Antiquarians or wealthy collectors of artifacts As far back as the 1700s wealthy people would pay money for classical treasures. Pompeii – was discovered in 1709 and was immediately set upon by treasure hunters. But they were interested in sculptures and gold, not cultural relics that offered insight into typical Roman life. Egypt – Europeans in the early 1800s renewed their interest in ancient Egypt during the Napoleonic Wars. This started off a wave of tomb robbing with even the bodies removed. Early Archaeology It was a combination of several other sciences concerned with the evolution of man Danish archaeologist Christian Jurgensen Thomsen opened the National Museum of Antiquities in Copenhagen to the public. 1920’s Archaeology became a fully fledged scientific discipline. Christian Jurgensen Thomsen

Process Most excavations start off with solid research Archives, primary secondary sources Serve to help archaeologists understand what they are looking for as well as where it might be. Test Pits When a location is not positively known the archaeologist might start off with small pits to verify location. Mapping Once a site has been determined archaeologists will grid the area so that exact measurements of the excavation can be made and location of artefacts cited with precision Digging The soil is removed layers at a time. When a new layer is encountered it is recorded and numbered for the stratigraphic profile Items from that soil level are collected and kept together for cataloguing Larger objects or features maybe photographed in place before being removed. Cataloguing Items are cleaned in water before being labelled Each item is given a number which provides all the information about its origins. Analysis Once the excavation is over, the material from the dig (photos, artefacts, and records) are examined to then create hypotheses about the people who left the evidence behind.

Where to Dig Archaeologists use a number of techniques to determine where to go. Aerial Photos

What to Look For Objects underground can affect the growth of plants and vegetation and so are great resources.

A Slow Process Unlike Indiana Jones, the process of excavation is slow and methodical. It is important to follow the stratigraphy of the site. That means removing the layers of dirt in a set pattern or process. This helps the Archaeologist determine dates and significance to items found within that layer.

What can be learned Things like garbage pits or Middens or latrines tell us a lot. They offer a glimpse into the daily lives of people. Diet Everyday items Ruins tell us about what as well as how things were made. Tool marks Physical remains can tell us about the health of people prior to or at the time of death. This has become a sensitive issue as some cultures resent the intrusion and desecration of their ancestors.