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What is Archaeology?

Study of past human life and activities by the recovery and examination of remaining material evidence.

It is a sub field of anthropology - study of humans both past and present.

Supplies the information that written history leaves out.

Archaeologists DO NOT:

Study dinosaurs. Just look for pretty or

valuable objects. Just pick up artifacts. Spend all their time

just digging. Buy, sell, or put a

price on artifacts.

The Evidence

PotteryStone artifactsAnimal bonesInsects, snails and fishHuman remains and teethPollenPlant remains

How Does it Survive?

Many factors affect an artifact’s survival:ClimateType of soilSpeed at which something is buriedExtent to which they are disturbed

after burial.Organic or inorganic

Organic Materials

Require special conditions in order to survive.

Hot and dryExtremely cold/frozenWaterlogged environments - bogs,

wells, bodies of water.

Bad Conditions

Tropical climatesRainforests grow rapidly

Acidic SoilDestroy bone and wood

Relative Dating Methods

Used for getting an approximate age.

Stratigraphy the study of rock layers and their

relative ages. Law of Superposition - rocks in the

deepest layers are older than the rocks near the surface.

Some layers take longer to form than others. Ex: shale vs. sand

Biostratigraphy

Helps determine the dates of rock layers based on the fossils found within.

Works with stratigraphy. Based on sequence of change for

various animals.Ex: Pigs’ molar teeth

Absolute Dating

Used to get specific dates of artifacts using scientific methods.

Tree ring dating Each ring represents one year. Thinner rings indicate a poor growth

season. Useful for identifying environmental

patterns.

Carbon-14

Type of radioactive dating method. All living things contain carbon-14 (C-14). Upon death, C-14 begins to disappear. After 5730 years, half of it has decayed. Cannot be used on objects older than

50 000 years.

Potassium-argon (K-Ar)

Type of radioactive dating Decays into argon gas in volcanic

rocks. Much like C-14, except slower rate

of decay. Takes 1.3 billion years for half of

the original to decay.

Thermoluminescence

Useful for dating pottery, flint rocks,cooking hearths, etc.

Pottery contains radioactive elements that escape in the form of light energy when heated to 500º C or more.

To determine the date, a sample is reheated and TL measured.

Suitable for objects up to 80 000 years old.