ANT 2000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Radiocarbon Dating, Absolute Dating, Absolute Time And Space
Document Summary
Stratigraphy: a stratum is a geological or cultural layer, and stratigraphy is the study of the deposition and relation of these strata. Law of superposition: the strata at the bottom of a stratigraphic profile are older than those at the top. Artifacts: portable objects created or modified by human behavior. Eco-facts: any flora or fauna material found at an archaeological site; nonratification evidence that has not been technologically altered but that has cultural relevance. Features: combinations of artifacts or eco-facts that represent human activity (not portable, post holes, fire fits, burial, etc. Provenience: the three-dimensional location of an artifact, eco-fact, or feature within an archaeological site. Absolute dating: dates for archaeological materials based on solar years, centuries, or other measures of absolute time. Relative dating: designating an event, object, or fossil as being older or younger than another.