Embedded Files
LEARNING INTENTIONS
LEARNING INTENTIONS
- To investigate the changing nature of archaeological excavation and recording techniques - including site surveys using radar, excavation, dating methods, forensic examination and DNA analysis.
Archaeological Methods
Archaeological Methods
Throughout the Ancient History course, you will come across a range of different archaeological sites and the archaeologists who have excavated them. You have already researched the methodology of an archaeologist. Modern archaeological method (the way archaeologists excavate a site) is very different from the way archaeologists worked in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Archaeologists use a variety of methods and techniques to study the past, including excavation, survey, reconstruction laboratory analysis and historical research.
Excavation is the process of uncovering and documenting archaeological sites, and involves careful planning, mapping, and documentation of the site and the artefacts found within it.
Survey is the process of systematically examining a specific area for archaeological sites or artefacts.
Reconstructions communicate historical and archaeological information through images, models or even virtual reality.
Laboratory analysis is used to study the artefacts and other remains found at a site, and can include techniques such as carbon dating, material analysis, and DNA analysis.
Historical research is used to provide context and background information on the people and societies being studied.
TASK
TASK
Read the information below and the information from on the website "Excavation Methods - Excavation Strategies, Mapping And Recording, Publication Of Findings"
Read the information below and the information from on the website "Excavation Methods - Excavation Strategies, Mapping And Recording, Publication Of Findings"
Use this information to outline the process of conducting an archaeological dig.
Use this information to outline the process of conducting an archaeological dig.
Excavation
Excavation
Archaeological excavation has undergone significant changes over the years, moving away from a focus on the collection of treasures and artefacts to a more holistic approach that seeks to understand the people and societies that produced them.
In the past, archaeological excavations were often carried out by wealthy individuals or institutions, and the focus was on obtaining valuable artefacts or treasures to be displayed in museums or private collections. The excavation process was often haphazard, with little regard for the preservation of the site or the context in which the artefacts were found.
Today, the approach to archaeological excavation is much more systematic and scientific. Excavations are usually carried out by professional archaeologists, and the focus is on understanding the people and societies that produced the artefacts. The excavations are carefully planned and executed, with the goal of preserving the site and its context as much as possible.
The excavations are designed to answer specific research questions and to test hypotheses about the past. They seek to understand the social, economic, political, and cultural factors that shaped the lives of the people who lived at the site. For instance, excavations may be used to study how people were organized, how they made a living, how they interacted with their environment, and how they developed their culture and technology over time.
In summary, the nature of archaeological excavation has evolved over time, moving away from a treasure hunting approach to a more scientific, research-based approach that seeks to understand the people and societies of the past.
Source A
Source A
Use Source A and your own knowledge to outline the features of a modern archaeological excavation.
Use Source A and your own knowledge to outline the features of a modern archaeological excavation.
Interactive timeline of artefacts in the British Museum
Interactive timeline of artefacts in the British Museum
The British Museum, collaborated with Google to create a Museum of the World timeline stretching from the present day to 2 million years BCE, with artefacts from all regions of the world in the museum collection dotted onto it. Individual objects can be clicked into to see an enlarged image, hear any related audio clips, and see related objects that may be of interest.
Explore the interactive timeline and find out:
Explore the interactive timeline and find out:
What is the oldest object in the British Museum? Describe the artefact.
What is one artefact dated from 5000 BCE?
What is the oldest object in the British Museum from Europe?
Locating Ancient Sites - Surveying
Locating Ancient Sites - Surveying
Using a collaborative Google Doc work together to outline various methods used for locating archaeological sites
Using a collaborative Google Doc work together to outline various methods used for locating archaeological sites
Aerial Survey: crop marks; soil marks; shadow marks; satellite photography; LiDAR.
Aerial Survey: crop marks; soil marks; shadow marks; satellite photography; LiDAR.
Ground Survey: GPR; Resistivity; Magnetometry.
Ground Survey: GPR; Resistivity; Magnetometry.
Crop marks, Eynsham, Oxfordshire
The value of reconstructions
The value of reconstructions
by Sebastian Hageneuer, M.A.
by Sebastian Hageneuer, M.A.
Reconstructions of ancient sites or finds can help us to understand the distant past. For non-academics, reconstructions offer a glimpse into that past, a kind of visual accumulation of scientific research communicated by means of images, models or even virtual reality. We see reconstructions in films, museums and magazines to illustrate the stories behind the historical or archaeological facts. For archaeologists however, reconstructions are also an important tool to answer unsolved questions and even raise new ones. One field where this is particularly true is the reconstruction of ancient architecture.
Early reconstructions
Early reconstructions
Since at least medieval times, artists created visual reconstructions drawn from the accounts of travellers or the Bible. Examples of this include the site of Stonehenge or the Tower of Babylon. Since the beginning of archaeology as a science in the mid-19th century, scientific reconstructions based on actual data were made. Of course, the earlier visualizations were more conjectural than later ones, due to the lack of comparable data at that time (for example, the image below).
Reconstruction drawing of Nimrud, the site of an ancient Assyrian palace, by James Fergusson for Sir Henry Layard, published in 1853. The columns depicted here were never found. The reconstruction is clearly influenced by what was known at that time of Greco-Roman architecture and by John Martin’s Fall of Nineveh (1829).
The three building blocks of reconstructions
The three building blocks of reconstructions
Since the end of the 19th century, reconstruction drawings evolved to be less conjectural and increasingly based on actual archaeological data as these became available due to increased excavations. Today we can not only look at reconstructions, we can experience them—whether as life-sized physical models or as immersive virtual simulations. But how do we create them? What are they made of? Every reconstruction is basically composed of three building blocks: Primary Sources, Secondary Sources, and Guesswork.
The first step toward a good visualization is to become aware of the archaeological data, the excavated remains—simply everything that has survived. This data is referred to as the Primary Sources—this is the part of the reconstruction we are most certain about. Sometimes we have a lot that survives and sometimes we only have the basic layout of a ground plan (below).
Remains of Building C in Uruk. Only a couple of mud-brick rows have survived to offer a basic ground plan. The building dates into the 4th millennium B.C.E. © German Archaeological Institute, Oriental Institute, W 10767, all rights reserved.
Even when the Primary Sources are utilized, we often have to fill the gaps with Secondary Sources. These sources are composed of architectural parallels, ancient depictions and descriptions, or ethno-archaeological data. So, for example in the case of the Building C in Uruk (above), we know through Primary Sources, that this building was made of mud-bricks (at least the first two rows). We then have to look at other buildings of that time to find out how they were built. In the example above, the layout of the ground-plan shows us that this building was tripartite—a layout well known from this and other sites. We also look at contemporary architecture to understand how mud-brick architecture functions and to find out what certain architectural details might mean. Unfortunately, we don’t have any depictions or textual evidence that can help us with this example. Parallels from later times however show us that the unusual niches in the rooms suggest an important function.
After utilising all the primary and secondary sources, we still need to fill in the gaps. The third part of every reconstruction is simple Guesswork. We obviously need to limit that part as much as we can, but there is always some guesswork involved—no matter how much we research our building. For example, it is rather difficult to decide how high Building C was over 5000 years ago. We therefore have to make an educated guess based, for example, on the estimated length and inclination of staircases within the building. If we are lucky, we can use some primary or secondary sources for that too, but even then, in the end we need to make a subjective decision.
Technical reconstruction of Building C in Uruk. The southwestern part of the building is artificially cut open so we can see the inside (for example, the staircase). © artefacts-berlin.de; Material: German Archaeological Institute
Reconstructions as a scholarly tool
Reconstructions as a scholarly tool
Besides creating these reconstructions to display them in exhibitions, architectural models can also aid archaeological investigations. If we construct ancient architecture using the computer, we not only need to decide every aspect of that particular building, but also the relation to adjoining architecture. Sometimes, the process of reconstructing several buildings and thinking about their interdependence can reveal interesting connections, for example the complicated matter of water disposal off a roof.
These are only random examples, but clearly, the process of architectural reconstruction is a complex one. We, as the creators, need to make sure that the observer understands the problems and uncertainties of a particular reconstruction. It is essential that the viewer understands that these images are not 100% factual. As the archaeologist Simon James has put it: “Every reconstruction is wrong. The only real question is, how wrong is it?”
Laboratory Analysis
Laboratory Analysis
LIMA, PERU—Andina reports that forensic anthropologists have reconstructed the face of the Lord of Sipan, a Mochica ruler whose third-century grave was discovered in Lambayeque in 1987 by archaeologist Walter Alva. Researchers from Inca Garcilaso de la Vega University, and Cícero Moraes and Paulo Miamoto of the Brazilian NGO Team of Forensic Anthropology and Odontology, used computer software to reassemble the Lord of Sipan’s skull, which had been severely damaged by the weight of his burial. The team also determined that the ruler stood about five feet, four inches tall, had arthritis in his spine, healthy teeth, and was between 45 and 55 years old when he died. “He was quite tall for that time period. He had a slightly strong muscle tone, which means he did not do any physical work, as befits his high rank,” Alva said. A replica of the reconstruction will be 3-D printed for display in the Museum of the Royal Tombs of Sipan.
What scientific methods were used to reconstruct the face of the Lord of Sipan?
Students explore the use of scientific methods, including forensic examination and DNA analysis to reconstruct the Lord of Sipan’s appearance and the link to human remains found in nearby tombs
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse