Excavation Analysis
In this lab, you produce a mini-site-report for an excavated archaeological site. The
following is information on the artifactual, faunal, and paleoenvironmental material
recovered from a hypothetical site, as well as a listing of all of the radiocarbon dates
for the site.
Table 1: Stratigraphic Analysis
Level pp1 pp2 pp3 pp4 scrp st6
1
st7
mano hoe st10 netwt pt1
pt2 total
35
18
67
3
33
156
42
160
2
2
20
19
62
5
3
6
19
16
48
7
9
105
4
14
6
14
36
9
12
91
5
23
2
19
3
11
73
6
20
1
7
14
3
8
4
1
7
3
4
3
12
5
1
8
9
16
1
13
19
9
1
21
30
10
1
13
16
3
7
52
5
56
10
8
54
3
2
57
2
34
2
Notes to Table 1:
Pp1, pp2, pp3, and pp4 are projectile points of various classifications. They may be associated with hunting or collecting various
kinds of food.
Hoes are probably implements for digging up the soil.
Scrp are scrapers, i.e. multi-purpose tools.
St6, st7, and st10 are miscellaneous stone tools of different classes and unknown function.
A mano is a grinding stone, often associated with the grinding of wild or cultivated seeds to make flour.
Netwt is a net weight or net sinker, usually associated with fishing.
Pt1 and pt2 are pottery types 1 and 2.
Table 2: Faunal Remains
Level
rodent
sheep
fish
birds
oxen
gazelle
deer
shell
total
1
89
88
3
3
5
8
196
2
86
71
6
2
9
174
3
57
69
8
9
143
4
23
49
7
3
11
4
97
5
3
33
2
2
11
6
57
6
2
19
1
2
7
6
6
43
7
5
2
1
9
13
3
33
8
8
3
3
9
26
9
7
11
4
12
31
19
84
10
1
5
3
5
14
6
34
49
Notes to Tables 1 and 2:
In comparing the artifact assemblages from various levels, it usually works better to deal with
percentages of the total number of tools for that level, rather than the plain artifact counts. In analysis,
tables are OK, but they do not tell you as much as, for example, “battleship curve” diagrams (like the
ones we have discussed previously). Note that other ways of analysis and illustration are also possible.
Table 3: Palynological evidence (in percentages)
Level
Trees
Shrub
Grass
Total %
1
9
21
70
100
2
11
15
74
100
3
15
14
71
100
4
20
13
67
100
5
8
39
53
100
6
70
15
15
100
7
77
18
5
100
8
81
14
5
100
9
84
13
3
100
10
80
15
5
100
Notes to Table 3:
Note that large percentages of tree pollen usually indicatives that there was little human disturbance of
the vegetation. Conversely, large amounts of grass pollen (where “grasses” include all sorts of weeds
and non-woody plants) reflect vegetation disturbance, e.g. cutting down all the trees (possibly for
cultivation) or forest fires. This is because grasses generally colonize disturbed areas quickly, followed
by shrubs. Imagine the “colonization sequence” that would occur if a large suburban lawn upstate New
York was not mowed for 25 years.
Table 4: Radiocarbon Dates
Level
1
2
1468 +/- 110 BP
3
4
5
3142 +/- 180 BP
6
7
3890 +/- 180 BP
8
9
10
6608 +/- 300 BP
Questions:
1. (the main question) In the archaeological data given for this site, there is significant
evidence for changes in the economy of the people living there. How did the economy
of the people change through time? Please interpret this evidence in as detailed a way
as possible, including as many different supporting points as you can for your
argument. Note that you don’t need to say why things changed, because you would
need data from more than one site for that level of explanatory interpretation; rather,
concentrate on describing the changes that occurred.
2. The environment surrounding the site, as reflected in the pollen preserved in the
deposits, certainly seems to have changed through time. How might you account for
this given the changes in the other archaeological characteristics at the site?
3. The tables below represent artifact frequencies from two other sites. By comparing
these data with the main siteàdata, determine the age of these sites. Please justify
your answers, and give both an estimate of the relative age of the sites (relative to the
corresponding level or levels in the main site), and an estimate of the absolute age of
the sites.
Table 5: Site B
Level pp1
pp2
pp3
pp4
scrp
st6
st7
mano hoe
1
4
15
18
48
4
2
11
7
18
31
11
3
25
1
2
18
2
pp2
pp3
4
1
3
st7
mano hoe
st10
netwt
Table 6: Site C
Level
pp1
1
4
pp4
scrp
st6
12
20
6
11
2
7
2
1
17
22
3
1
6
14
st10
1
netwt
3

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