ANT200Y1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Stone Age, Flinders Petrie, Bronze Age
Document Summary
Law of superposition: in an undisturbed depositional sequence, each layer is younger than the layer beneath it, it is important to excavate sites strata-graphically so that each artifact is recorded as being in a particular layer. This helps date artifacts and tie together di erent artifacts that are from the same period: the power of archaeology is all about collecting remains within their depositional context. Recovery of items: excavation: can involve many di erent methods. It all depends on the purpose and nature of the archaeological site: seiving: running dirt through a screen to recover material. Sometimes use a hose to wash away the dirt. British columbia to recover old sh bones (salmon and herring): flotation: use water to mix with the dirt and make a big soup of everything. This makes charcoal and plant remains oat to the top which can then be used to do botanical research.
