INFORMATION
ABOUT
ARCHAEOLOGY
An archaeologist who has received
a licence will usually do a survey of
the area to begin work on the site.
A survey could be just a walk over the site to see if there are remains
or clues visible. Surveys could include the use of technology
like ground penetrating radar,
resistivity or GPS.
Often, archaeologists will dig small test
pits, about 50 cm. square, or even trenches of several metres length
to learn:
-what the soil is like at the site and what layers - or strata - it forms,
-what kinds of artifacts the site may contain,
-which areas in the site will probably answer the research questions.
The soil is important to archeologists because artifacts are found in
the soil. If the archaeologist understands about the soil - how
old it is, how it was formed, what chemicals it contains - this will
help the archaeologist understand the artifacts. Soil layers will
be described and drawn in the survey notes.
The site will be mapped during a survey, including pits or trenches
made. The mapping could be done manually with a tape measure or
with technical equipment like a theodolite or GPS system. The
site is located on an NTS map,
using the co-ordinate system of numbers for these national maps.
The archaeologist will consider the information from the survey to
decide:
-if or where the research on the site should take place,
-where should the point be placed on the site from which everything
will be measured,
-where should the soil that is moved be placed (so it doesn't hide or
cover something),
-how will the soil have affected the artifacts and site,
-how would it be best to investigate the site?
QUESTIONS
1. Name three different
ways an archaeologist could survey a site.
2. What types of technology could an archaeologist use during a
survey?
3. Why is information about soil important to an archaeologist?
4. Name some decisions an archaeologist makes based upon a survey.
GOALS
to examine soil science in
relation to archaeology
to introduce how information is used for decision making in archaeology
OBJECTIVES
Knowledge
-record appropriate descriptors for soil (i.e. vocabulary)
-note the terminology used in soil stratigraphic profiles
Skills
-write descriptions (of soil)
-classify descriptors
-analyse information to assist with decision making
-use soil layers to note relative dating
-note the terminology used in soil stratigraphic profiles
Attitudes
-demonstrate the need to integrate scientific and geographic knowledge
and skills (in archaeological work)
VOCABULARY
GPS
-Global Positioning System - a technological system that
uses satellites and map co-ordinates to record locations on maps
NTS
-National Topographic Survey - the agency that produces
topographic maps (showing physical and manmade features of the Earth -
like hills or railway tracks) for the government
radar
-a machine that uses the reflection of electrical waves to
note the location of and give pictures of objects in the ground
stratum
-(the plural is strata) a layer, usually of soil in
archaeology
survey
-(verb) to look over an area to see what archaeological
evidence is there
-(verb) to map an area using surveying equipment
-(noun) the first test of an area to note the archaeological evidence
there
RESOURCES
Fladmark, Knut
A Basic Guide to
Archaeological Field Procedures Burnaby: Simon Fraser
University, 1978.
SUGGESTED
LESSONS
Junior
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Intermediate
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Extension
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Divide the class into
groups. Provide each group with a cupful
of soil. (If soil
is unavailable, a
sheet of brown paper could be used.) Each group should have the same
type of
soil or sand.
Students
should describe the soil under the headings of each of the
five
senses (sight, sound, touch, smell, taste).
The observations should be recorded.
Each group should present its findings.
These should be recorded by the teacher to
synthesize them for the class
as a whole e.g. on a chart.
The class should discuss:
1) were different terms
used to describe the same thing e.g. colour;
2) what advantages or
disadvantages there would be to use standard
descriptions for something like colour.
The
class should vote upon or create a standard set of descriptors for the
soil. Each group could be in charge of
one sense or description e.g. smell, hardness, colour, etc. |
Divide the class into
groups. Provide each group with a cupful of soil. Each
group should have the same type of soil or sand.
Provide each group with the soil description chart and information from
this book, also a colour key system such as coded point chip
samples in soil colours.
Using the information provided, and correct terminology from it,
students should complete the chart to describe the soil.
Each group should present its findings. Record these for the
class.
The class should discuss how using scientific terminology for soil
descriptions would be useful for archaeologists. |
Divide the class into
groups. Provide each group with:
1) a copy of the soil profile of the hypothetical site from this
publication,
2) a map of the test trenches from that site in this publication,
3) the photograph of the building interior from this publication.
Each group should assume the role of the direction of the
archaeological research at the site.
Based upon the soil profile and test trenches, each group should decide:
a) where on the site it would be best to look for remains of the
building pictured,
b) which objects from the picture are likely to be located, based on
the soil types.
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EVALUATIVE STRATEGIES
Junior
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Intermediate
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Extension
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Present each group with a
cup of soil which is in layers (or a drawing, if soil is unavailable).
Using the standard descriptors created during class discussion, each
group should describe the individual layers of the soil in its sample.
During presentation, groups may self-evaluate by noting whether their
description is the same as the others using the class "standard".
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Provide each group with
the soil profile from the hypothetical site in this publication.
Using the soil profile and the descriptors from the above, students
should continue the notes for the site report - field notes - begun in
Chapter 1. In this entry, students should describe the soil on the site
and how this information is important to the research.
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Students in groups, pairs
or individually may create a scientific experiment to test the rate and
effects of decay upon artifacts such as those pictured in the
photograph in this publication. Students should include the
following variables:
-organic and inorganic artifacts,
-different soil types e.g. topsoil, sand, subsoil.
The results of this experiment may be used to revise the research
strategy from the lesson above.
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DISCUSSION
Junior,
Intermediate, Extension
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By
removing soil and artifacts, archaeology destroys the site it
investigates. Should archaeologists today continue to dig into
soil to look for information, or leave sites buried until better
technology is available to find out about the past without destroying
sites? Why/Why not?
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RESOURCES
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