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Archaeological sites and excavation techniques

The process of archaeology means that a site is destroyed or damaged. It is critically important that every step is taken with great care and precision.

Every step is PRECISELY:

  • Noted

  • Documented

  • Artefacts are cleaned

  • Photographed

  • Drawn to scale

  • Labelled

  • All work is recorded in workbooks

Dating techniques - Stratigraphy

Stratigraphy is the classification of different layers or layering of sedimentary deposits, and in sedimentary or layered volcanic rocks. This field is important to understanding the geological history and forms the basis for classification of rocks into distinct units that can be easily mapped.

Human remains

  • Bodies that have been preserved through the passage of time provide us insights into past civilisations and societies.

  • There is great variation in what gets preserved due to instability in the environment.

  • Remains are more likely to be preserved in constant environment in terms of temperature

  • Dry, cold and waterlogged environments are the most common places for bodies to be preserved.

Stratigraphy is the study of Earth's layers to understand geological history and date artefacts found in them.

The idea behind the stratigraphical dating method is that the oldest objects are on the lower strata whilst the newer objects are on higher strata.

Relative & Absolute Dating Techniques

Relative Dating is a technique used to determine an approximate age of artefacts through the comparison of other artefacts.

Absolute Dating is a technique used to determine the exact age of artefacts using scientific methods such as radiocarbon dating.

  1. Dry Environments

    • Lack of moisture prevents bacteria from breaking down bodies.

    • Sand and dry caves naturally preserve bodies (e.g., Egyptian sand mummies).

  2. Cold Environments

    • Ice preserves bodies if conditions are right:

      • Death occurs on non-moving ice.

      • Initial freeze-drying before being fully covered in ice.

      • Body must remain intact without scavengers disturbing it.

  3. Waterlogged Environments

    • Found in lakes, swamps, marshes, fens, and peat bogs.

    • Waterlogged sites create oxygen-free conditions that prevent decay.

    • Preservation is only possible if waterlogging remains constant.

How sites are discovered

  • Existing Sites - sites that never disappeared, often large, easy to locate, well preserved, may have been damaged or robbed over time

  • Luck or Chance - discovered by accident, can be very well presereved, can also be damaged when discovered

  • Natural Processes - through processes such as rain, wind and soil erosion, sites can be damaged from these processes if not properly secured and protected

  • Human Activity - when humands dig roads, dams, railway tunnels etc sometimes sites are discovered, can be perserved quickly

  • Ancient Writings - use of written records to help locate a site, writing may mention specific places, process can be very long, time consuming and expensive

  • Aerial Photography - plane flying pver areas of land or suspected sites and taking photographs, doesn’t always reveal specific details

  • Satellite images/Photography - satellites can penetrate the land to discover sites, technology can be very expensive, helps find and examine sites that are hard to access