What’s Left?
Anth 130
February 4, 2015
Archaeological Record
• The body of physical (not written!) evidence
about the past
IT IS EVERYTHING ARCHAEOLOGISTS
STUDY!
Artifact
• Objects used, modified, or made by people
Ecofacts
• Organic and environmental remains not made
by humans but that can tell archaeologists
information about past peoples
Feature
• A non-portable artifact (walls, buildings, roads
etc.)
Activity!
• Break into groups of two
• Make a list of famous artifact, ecofact and feature
in the next five minutes
• Team with the longest list gets extra 2
participation points!
• GO!
Sites
• A place where artifacts, ecofacts and features
are found together
Context
• To understand past human history at a site
archaeologists must understand the context of
a find.
• Context consists of the: matrix, provenience,
and its association
• Once something is removed and its context
destroyed part of the understanding of the
artifact disappears
Primary vs. Secondary Contexts
If a tomb is looted in antiquity and then
archaeologists excavated the same tomb in the
21st century would they be recording the
primary or secondary context?
What else could cause an artifact to be found in
a secondary context?
Why is it important to know the difference?
Matrix
• The material surrounding an object
• Usually some sort of sediment (gravel, sand,
clay etc.)
Provenience
• Location-horizontal and
vertical position within the
matrix
• Archaeologists measure the
depth of an artifact and its
position within the site
Association
• An artifacts occurrence with other remains
• Usually within the same matrix
All associations must be recording
accurately within a site…why?
Taphonomy
• The study of formation processes
• Cultural formation processes vs. natural
formation processes
• It is important to know if archaeological
evidence is from human or natural processes
Cultural Formation Processes
• Original Human Behavior
• Deliberate Burial
• Human Destruction of the Archaeological
Record
Original Human Behavior
• Reflected in four (sometimes 5) different ways
within the AR
• Acquisition
• Manufacture
• Extra-Step-Storage
• Use (and Distribution)
• Discard
Deliberate Burial
• Depositing items during times of conflict with
the intent of coming back for them-known as
a hoard
• Burial of the dead
Human destruction of the AR
• People in the past deliberately AND
accidentally destroyed remains from previous
peoples
• Some of these practices actually help the AR
stay intact…example burning
Natural Formation Processes
• Nature can be as destructive (if not more
than) humans
• Animal activity
• Rivers can change course and disrupt burials
and sites
• Natural disasters can destroy (or preserve)
objects in the AR
Inorganic Materials
• Stone, Metal and Clay survive the most in the
AR
• What do you think does’t survive well?
Stone Tools
• Some are over 2 million years old
Fired Clay
• Ceramics have traditionally been the main
source of evidence for Archaeologists
• Acid soil and humidity can damage clay
Mud brick
• Virtually indestructible if well fired
• Helps to understand building phases
Metals
• Gold, Silver, Lead survive well
• Copper and bronze oxidize in acidic soil and can leave
behind only a green deposit
• Iron oxidizes quickly and can leave behind just a rust
colored stain
• The sea is very destructive to metals-once an object is
removed from the ocean it must be treated to preserve
it
Organic Materials
• Survival is determined greatly by the matrix
surrounding the material
• Natural disasters can also influence survival
• Inorganic material in the matrix can affect the
preservation of organic material
What do you think the sea would do to
an artifact?
Natural Disasters
• Volcano's
• Mudslides
• Earthquakes
Climate
• How does climate affect preservation?
• “Regional Climate” vs. “Local Climate”
Tropical Climates
• Jungles of South America, Asia and Africa
• Tropical climates are the most destructive
• Warm, high humidity, acid soils, wealth of
vegetation and insect life
• Fast growing jungle
Temperate Climates
• Most of Europe and North American
• Temperate climates are also not good for
preservation
• Warm, variable temperature and floating rain
fall
Dry Environments
• Prevents decay through shortage of water
which doesn’t allow organisms to grow
Cold Environments
• Natural refrigeration
• “Frozen Finds”
• Same effect produced at high altitudes
• Sa
Waterlogged Environments
• Wetland archaeology-sites in lakes, swamps,
bogs, fens
• Material is sealed in a wet and airless
environment causing good preservation
• 75-90% of finds are organic
Questions?