ANT 304 Chapter 2: Archaeology Essentials Chapter 2 Key Concepts
24 Mar 2016
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Artifacts: portable object used, modified, or made by humans. Ecofacts: organic and environmental remains not made by humans. Sites: places where artifacts, ecofacts, and features are found together. Matrix: the material surrounding a find (an artifact, ecofact, or feature) Provenience: the exact position of a find within the matrix. Association: a find"s relationship with other finds. Without context, an artifact loses much of its archaeological value. Stone tools, fired clay, and some metals, such as gold, silver, and lead, survive very well in nearly all environment. Some metals, such as copper can corrode depending on the soil conditions, and iron rarely survives in an uncorroded state. Matrix: the conditions and make-up of the soil or sediment surrounding the material (which only in special circumstances preserve organic material) Climate: the local and regional weather conditions. Natural disasters, such as volcanic eruptions, and extremes of dry, cold, and wet climates.
