Archaeological site
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An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either
Beyond this, the definition and geographical extent of a "site" can vary widely, depending on the period studied and the theoretical approach of the archaeologist.
Geographical extent
It is almost invariably difficult to delimit a site. It is sometimes taken to indicate a settlement of some sort although the archaeologist must also define the limits of human activity around the settlement. Any episode of deposition such as a
According to Jess Beck in "How Do Archaeologists find sites?"[1] the areas with numerous artifacts are good targets for future excavation, while areas with a small number of artifacts are thought to reflect a lack of past human activity. Many areas have been discovered by accident. The most common person to have found artifacts are farmers who are plowing their fields or just cleaning them up often find archaeological artifacts. Many people who are out hiking and even pilots find artifacts they usually end up reporting them to archaeologists to do further investigation. When they find sites, they have to first record the area, and if they have the money and time for the site they can start digging.
Field survey
There are many ways to find sites, one example can be through surveys. Surveys involve walking around analyzing the land looking for artifacts. It can also involve digging, according to the Archaeological Institute of America,[2] "archaeologists actively search areas that were likely to support human populations, or in places where old documents and records indicate people once lived." This helps archaeologists in the future. In case there was no time, or money during the finding of the site, archaeologists can come back and visit the site for further digging to find out the extent of the site. Archaeologist can also sample randomly within a given area of land as another form of conducting surveys. Surveys are very useful, according to Jess Beck, "it can tell you where people were living at different points in the past." Geophysics is a branch of survey becoming more and more popular in archaeology, because it uses different types of instruments to investigate features below the ground surface. It is not as reliable, because although they can see what is under the surface of the ground it does not produce the best picture. Archaeologists have to still dig up the area in order to uncover the truth. There are also two most common types of geophysical survey, which is, magnetometer and ground penetrating radar. Magnetometry[3] is the technique of measuring and mapping patterns of magnetism in the soil. It uses an instrument called a magnetometer which is required to measure and map traces of soil magnetism. The ground penetrating radar[4] is a method that uses radar pulses to image the subsurface. It uses electro magnetic radiation in the microwave band of the radio spectrum, and detects the reflected signals from subsurface structures.
There are many other tools that can be used to find artifacts, but along with finding artifacts, archaeologist have to make maps. They do so by taking data from surveys, or archival research and plugging it into a Geographical Information Systems (GIS)[5] and that will contain both locational information and a combination of various information. This tool is very helpful to archaeologists who want to explore in a different area and want to see if anyone else has done research. They can use this tool to see what has already been discovered. With this information available, archaeologists can expand their research and add more to what has already been found.
Traditionally, sites are distinguished by the presence of both
Archaeological sites usually form through human-related processes but can be subject to natural, post-depositional factors. Cultural remnants which have been buried by sediments are in many environments more likely to be preserved than exposed cultural remnants. Natural actions resulting in sediment being deposited include
Many sites are the subject of ongoing excavation or investigation. Note the difference between archaeological sites and archaeological discoveries.
Gallery
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Dion archaeological site
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Archaeological site of Cyrene
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Archaeological site of Sabratha, Libya
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Pleuron, Aetoliaarchaeological site in Greece
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Leptis Magna archaeological site
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Sarmizegetusa Regia, archaeological site in Romania
See also
- Archaeological ethics – Branch of archaeological philosophy
- Valletta Treaty – Multilateral treaty of the Council of Europe
- Conservation and restoration of archaeological sites
- List of archaeological sites by country
- List of archaeological sites by continent and age
- Site survey – Inspections of an area where work is proposed, to gather information
References
- ^ JB (27 February 2015). "How do archaeologists find sites?". Bone Broke. Archived from the original on 13 March 2016. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
- ^ "Ask the Experts: AIA Archaeology FAQ - Archaeological Institute of America". www.archaeological.org. Archived from the original on 10 March 2016. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
- ^ "Learning Archaeology: Pre-Ex: Geophysics: Magnetometry". www.pastperfect.org.uk. Archived from the original on 4 December 2017. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
- ^ "What is GPR: A Brief Description by GSSI". www.geophysical.com. Archived from the original on 12 March 2016. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
- ^ "What is GIS". www.esri.com. Archived from the original on 10 March 2016. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
Further reading
- Dunnell, Robert C.; Dancey, William S. (1983). "The Siteless Survey: A Regional Scale Data Collection Strategy". In Schiffer, M. B. (ed.). Advances in Archaeological Method and Theory. Vol. 6. New York: Academic Press. pp. 267–287. ISBN 0-12-003106-X.
External links
- Media related to Archaeological sites at Wikimedia Commons
- The Archaeological Conservation Group of Icon, the Institute of Conservation (UK Professional body) Archived 2 May 2015 at the Wayback Machine
- Tambomachay Archaeological Site (360° view) – Cusco Peru
- Archaeological site of Polé, Mexico, nowadays known as Xcaret