ANT200H5 Lecture 4: Ant200 Lesson 4
Document Summary
Archaeology the study of human past through material remains with the goal of ordering and describing events of the past. Evidence: the archaeological data (bear in mind that the archaeological record is biased) Basic categories of data: artifacts, features, ecofacts, sites, regions. Context of data: matrix, provenience, association, primary context vs secondary. Artifacts: any portable object whose form has been modified in any way by human activity (ex. Rocks used for hammer stone have rippled bottoms, antlers were modified and used for tools, some tool functions are still not known) Feature: non-portable human-made remains that cannot be removed from their place of discovery without altering or destroying their original form (ex: great pyramids in egypt, pile of dry yak dung) Complete inuvialuit driftwood house with a cache in it) Ecofacts: non-artificial material natural remains that have cultural relevance (faunal remains; can tell us what they eat, age of what they ate etc. Plant remains charred wheat and barley grains, soil/deposits)
