Arky 303 -2

Speculative Period

The period in archaeology from 1492 to 1840 characterized by speculation about the origins of Indigenous peoples without proper archaeological methods.

Classificatory-Descriptive Period

The phase in archaeology from 1840 to 1914 focusing on classifying and describing archaeological finds under the impacts of colonialism.

Smithsonian Institution

Founded in response to the Indian Removal Act, it became a key player in archaeological research in the United States.

John Wesley Powell

The first director of the Smithsonian Institution known for his explorations and linking environment with Indigenous cultures.

Ephraim G. Squier

An early American archaeologist who surveyed mounds and published descriptive accounts in North American archaeology.

David Boyle

Regarded as Canada’s first professional archaeologist who utilized systematic recording methods in excavations.

Diamond Jenness

A pioneering ethnographer and archaeologist known for conducting systematic archaeological excavations in the North American Arctic.

Culture-historical approaches

Archaeological methods that documented culture changes but were criticized for not exploring the processes behind those changes.

Method and Theory in American Archaeology

A seminal book published by Gordon Willey and Philip Phillips in 1958 advocating an anthropological approach in archaeology.

Processual Archaeology

A movement in archaeology that emerged after 1960 emphasizing scientific testing and the understanding of cultural processes.

Borden Numbers

An alphanumeric coding system devised by Charles E. Borden in 1952 to classify archaeological sites in Canada.

Paleo Indian Period

The earliest archaeological period in North America spanning from 18,000 to 8000 BCE.

Cultural Resource Management (CRM)

A sector of archaeology focused on managing and preserving cultural heritage, often in relation to development projects.

The Explanatory Period

The current phase in archaeology (1960 to Present) that includes various approaches such as Post-Processual, Feminist, and Indigenous archaeology.