Introduction to Archaeology – Key Vocabulary

These flashcards present essential archaeological vocabulary—covering scientific principles, field methods, site formation, and chronological systems—to aid exam preparation.

Archaeological Record

The accumulated traces or clues of past human behavior preserved at archaeological sites.

Inference (in Archaeology)

A logical conclusion drawn from material traces to reconstruct past human activities.

Justification

The reasoning that links an archaeological inference to the material evidence supporting it.

Pseudoscience

Claims presented as scientific but lacking rigorous methodology; in archaeology, leads to pseudo-archaeology.

Pseudo-archaeology

Speculative interpretations of the past that imitate archaeology without adhering to scientific principles.

Human Evolution (Archaeological Discipline)

Branch of archaeology studying biological and behavioral development of Homo sapiens and ancestors.

Prehistoric Archaeology

Investigation of human past before written records.

Historic Archaeology

Study of societies with written documents, integrating texts and material remains.

Cultural Resource Management (CRM)

Professional field managing and protecting archaeological sites threatened by development.

Site

A place containing material remains of past human activity.

Excavation

Systematic digging of a site, often using a grid, to recover archaeological data.

Grid System

Method of dividing a site into equal squares to control provenience during excavation.

Datum

A fixed reference point used to measure horizontal and vertical positions of finds on a site.

Artifact

Any portable object fashioned or altered by humans.

Fossil

Preserved trace or impression of an ancient organism found in the archaeological record.

Ecofact

Natural remains of plants or animals that provide information about past environments and diets.

Feature

Non-portable element of a site, such as hearths, walls, or pits.

Culture (Archaeological Theme)

Shared ideas and behaviors of a human group, inferred from material remains.

Time (Archaeological Theme)

The chronological dimension archaeologists study to understand change.

Change (Archaeological Theme)

Transformations in human culture detected through material evidence over time.

Material Remains

Physical objects and residues that survive from past human activity.

Assemblage

A connected group of artifacts, ecofacts, and features found together at a site.

Context

The spatial and temporal relationships among artifacts, features, and strata at a site.

Primary Context

Condition in which artifacts remain where they were originally deposited.

Secondary Context

Condition in which artifacts have been disturbed from their original location.

Provenience

The exact three-dimensional location where an artifact was found.

Scientific Method (in Archaeology)

Systematic approach involving observation, hypothesis formation, testing, and replication where possible.

Radiocarbon Dating

Chronometric technique measuring decay of carbon-14 to determine age of organic materials.

Site Formation Processes

Natural and cultural actions that create and modify archaeological deposits.

Abandonment (Site Formation)

Process by which a site is left, either catastrophically or gradually, leaving behind artifacts.

Deposition

Addition of sediments or materials covering archaeological remains.

Taphonomy

Study of processes affecting organic and cultural remains from deposition to discovery.

Bioturbation

Disturbance of archaeological deposits by plants and animals.

Erosion

Removal or movement of soil by wind or water altering site integrity.

Chronology

Sequence of events in time constructed by archaeologists.

BC/AD

Dating convention: Before Christ / Anno Domini, based on the traditional birth year of Jesus.

BCE/CE

Secular alternative to BC/AD: Before Common Era / Common Era, same numerical system.

BP (Before Present)

Dating measure counting years from 1950, standard in radiocarbon results.