Archaeology Flashcards

Flashcards for Archaeology Concepts, Methods, Dating Techniques, Theory, and Case Studies

Activity Areas

Locations within a site where specific tasks were performed, identified by artifact patterns.

Anaerobic Environments

Environments lacking oxygen, which slow decay and preserve organic materials (e.g., peat bogs).

Artifact

Any object made or modified by humans.

Association

The spatial and contextual relationship between artifacts, features, and ecofacts.

Behavioral Cycle

Stages an object goes through — Acquisition, Manufacture, Use, and Deposition.

Conditions for Best Preservation

Dry, frozen, or anaerobic environments (e.g., deserts, glaciers, waterlogged areas).

Context

The position of an artifact in time and space, essential for interpretation.

Cultural Resource Management (CRM)

The practice of managing, preserving, and mitigating impact to archaeological sites.

Ecofact

Natural remains (e.g., seeds, bones) related to human activity but not modified.

Feature

Non-moveable human-made elements (e.g., hearths, postholes).

Harris Matrix

A diagram used to depict the chronological sequence of archaeological layers.

Horizon

A distinctive layer or cultural trait found widely over a region in a short period.

Law of Superposition

In undisturbed contexts, deeper layers are older than those above.

Matrix

The physical material surrounding archaeological finds (e.g., soil, sand).

Palimpsest vs. Pompeii Premise

A palimpsest site shows mixed, overlapping use over time; Pompeii Premise implies a snapshot of one moment.

Provenience

The precise location where an artifact is found.

Seriation

Relative dating method using stylistic changes in artifacts over time.

Site

A place where human activity occurred and material remains are found.

Stratigraphy

The study of layered deposits; foundational for understanding archaeological contexts.

Taphonomy

The study of processes affecting remains from deposition to discovery.

Tradition

Long-lasting cultural practices or artifact styles.

Typology

Classification of artifacts based on shared attributes.

Absolute Dating

Assigns calendar dates (e.g., radiocarbon).

Relative Dating

Orders events without specific dates (e.g., stratigraphy).

Bioarchaeology

Study of human remains from archaeological sites to understand past lives.

Ceramic analysis

Study of pottery to infer chronology, technology, and cultural practices.

Flotation

Technique to recover tiny artifacts and ecofacts (e.g., seeds) by using water.

High impact field strategies

Involves excavation.

Low impact field strategies

Includes survey and remote sensing.

Historical archaeology

Archaeology of societies with written records; often combines documents and material remains.

Lithic analysis

Study of stone tools and production debris.

Paleoethnobotany

Study of ancient plant remains to understand past diets and environments.

Remote sensing

Non-invasive techniques (e.g., GPR, aerial photography) to detect subsurface features.

Surface Pedestrian Survey

Walking over a site to identify artifacts and features on the surface.

Zooarchaeology (Faunal Analysis)

Study of animal remains to understand human-animal interactions.

Carbon dating (Radiocarbon)

Absolute dating using decay of C-14; useful up to ~50,000 years.

Dendrochronology

Tree-ring dating; gives exact years, useful in certain regions.

TPQ (Terminus Post Quem)

"Date after which" an event occurred, based on the newest item in a layer.

Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)

Sends radar pulses into the ground; detects buried features.

Magnetometry

Measures magnetic variations to find buried structures or features.

Electrical resistivity

Detects changes in soil resistance; reveals buried walls, ditches.

Dental caries

Cavities; indicate diet high in sugars/starches.

Enamel hypoplasia

Lines or pits in teeth from childhood stress or malnutrition.

Cribra orbitalia

Pitting in eye orbits, often linked to anemia.

Wolff’s Law

Bone changes in response to mechanical stress.

Antiquarianism Timeline

16th–18th centuries

Culture History Timeline

Late 19th–early 20th century

Processual Archaeology Timeline

1960s–1980s

Culture History: Culture Change

Through diffusion or migration.

Post-processual Archaeology

Timeline: 1980s–present

Garbology Project

William Rathje: Studied modern garbage to understand consumption and behavior; applied archaeological methods to modern waste.

Seriation of Motifs

death’s head → cherub → urn and willow

Pseudoscience

Misinformation and non-scientific theories (e.g., ancient aliens) that misuse archaeological evidence.

Virú Valley, Peru

Gordon Willey: Developed settlement pattern analysis; pioneered processual approach in Latin America.

Ian Hodder

Post-processual theorist; reflexive method at Çatalhöyük.

Critical Proponent

Walter Taylor: Criticized culture history; early proponent of more scientific approaches.