CHAPTER 6: DOING FIELDWORK: WHY ARCHAEOLOGISTS DIG SQUARE
HOLES
What Students Should Learn From Chapter 6:
1.
Understand that archaeological excavation destroys the portions of the site that are
excavated. That is why archaeologists use such stringent techniques to record
proveniences of materials in the field. This allows the archaeologists to reconstruct the
contexts of the excavations in a virtual environment.
2.
Preservation of artifacts is the result of local climatic conditions. Continuously dry, wet,
or cold environments aid in preservation because they retard the growth of
microorganisms that cause decay.
3.
Initially, vertical test units are typically employed to gain chronological control over the
site.
4.
Horizontal excavations rely on contextual information to learn about past lifeways.
Provenience information on each artifact and ecofact is critical to the interpretation of
the site.
5.
Recovery techniques used to collect artifacts and ecofacts not located in situ or that are
very small include screening, flotation, and bulk matrix processing.
6.
All artifacts and ecofacts are tied to the site’s three dimensional provenience system, site
excavation notes, and other information through a series of individual catalog numbers.
7.
Understand that archaeologists keep exacting records about what they excavate, in order
to allow other researchers to see the site in the same way as the original excavators.
8.
Archaeology is a hands-on field. It cannot be learned form classroom experiences,
computer simulations, or textbooks.
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