Archaeology and Material Culture: Key Concepts and Dating Methods

What is archaeology?

The study of past human societies through material remains.

What is material culture?

Physical evidence of human activity, such as tools or architecture.

What is context?

The position and relationship of finds that give them meaning.

What is pseudoarchaeology?

False or unscientific claims about the past, like ancient aliens.

What is CRM?

Cultural Resource Management - protecting sites during development.

Who was the first known excavator?

King Nabonidus (6th century BCE).

What is antiquarianism?

Collecting ancient artifacts without scientific methods.

What is the Three Age System?

Stone → Bronze → Iron Age.

What is processual archaeology?

Scientific and objective, focusing on systems (Binford).

What is post-processual archaeology?

Interpretive and subjective, focused on meaning and power (Hodder).

What is stratigraphy?

Study of soil layers (strata) to determine sequence of events.

What is the Law of Superposition?

Lower layers are older than upper ones.

What are C-transforms?

Human actions that alter the archaeological record.

What are N-transforms?

Natural processes like erosion or flooding.

What is taphonomy?

Study of how materials enter and survive in the record.

What is a feature?

A non-portable human-made element (hearth, wall, pit).

What is a cultural landscape?

A human-shaped area containing multiple archaeological sites.

What is monumentality?

Large, enduring construction symbolizing power or identity.

What is anastylosis?

Reconstructing a monument using original materials.

Give an example of a famous monument.

Stonehenge - Neolithic ritual and burial site.

What is an artifact?

A portable object made or modified by humans.

What is an ecofact?

Natural remains linked to human activity (bones, seeds, shells).

What is a lithic?

A stone tool or artifact.

What is typology?

Grouping artifacts by traits to build chronological sequences.

What is debitage?

Waste flakes produced during toolmaking.

What is TPQ?

Terminus Post Quem - the earliest possible date something could occur.

What is TAQ?

Terminus Ante Quem - the latest possible date something could occur.

What is radiocarbon dating used for?

Dating organic materials up to about 50,000 years old.

What is dendrochronology?

Tree-ring dating to find exact years of growth.

What is seriation?

Ordering artifacts by stylistic or frequency changes over time.