CLCV 1008 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Sutton Hoo, Ghost Ship, Vindolanda Tablets
15 Dec 2017
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Document Summary
When an artifact is moved from its place then it is an object that gives us very limited information. When there is no archaeological record of an excavation, an archaeologist can only say what it is: not the context. Humans aren"t the only ones able to destroy an archaeological site, but natural disasters can too. Two types of formation processes: 1. Natural events: river, shifting sands, earthquakes: 2. Cultural events: activities of people, human behaviour, burying. These determine the survival of archaeological records. Inorganic materials (page 55-56: stone, clay, metal. Organic materials once living things (page 56-69: wood, plants, seed, leather, bones, horns, wool. Practically any archaeology material from plant remains to metal can survive in exceptional circumstances but inorganic survive better than organic in non-exceptional circumstances. Most common inorganic material to survive is fired clay: if it"s well fired it can be indestructible, pottery - main source of evidence in many parts in the world.
