ANT100Y1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Lascaux, Dendrochronology, Geochronology
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ANT100Y1 Full Course Notes
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Document Summary
The archaeological record is the sum of all physical evidence about the past that survives to the present = objects plus their context. Not all behaviour will leave material traces. Because of intervening cultural and natural processes, the archaeological record is not usually a direct reflection of past behaviour. Artifact: any object made or modified by people. Ecofact: natural object used or affected by people. Feature: non-portable material remains resulting from human activity (e. g. , a house, a fireplace, a midden). Archaeological site: a place where evidence of past human activity is preserved. **artifacts can enter the archaeological record at any point in this process. Extreme wet, dry, or cold preserves organics. Biological factors - eg. decay, rodents, carnivores. Soil chemistry - can destroy (acid) or preserve (fossilize) Changes the context of materials within the archaeological site. **as a result of these natural and cultural factors the archaeological record is highly distorted!
