Abstract

This paper evaluates how differing project objectives and methodological approaches affect the results of archaeological site surveys. The discussion considers the role of contemporary enviromnental and logistical criteria, as well as theoretical biases, in archaeological interpretation. Two culturally and geographically distinct localities, Meares Island and a section of the Fraser Canyon, British Columbia, arc compared. Analysis dernonstrates the failure of many archaeologists to address these factors in archaeological survey. Explicit recognition of such constraints will generate a more critical and ultimately more constructive means of interpreting archaeological site data.