![]() There is consequently no single, best way to classify artifacts into types.Ī typologist first classifies artifacts in terms of attributes, for example, raw material, color and size. Typologic categories are, however, only arbitrary constructions used by archeologists to come to terms with the archeological record. According to this concept, within any given region, artifacts that are similar in form or style were produced at about the same time, and stylistic changes are likely to have been gradual or evolutionary. Classification should not be based on an artifact's function because this often cannot be unambiguously determined. Typology is the study of artifacts based on observable traits such as form, methods of manufacture, and materials. The notion that artifacts can be classified into types rests on the principles of typological analysis. Often, archaeologists are responsible for writing a report that details how the site should be managed, further excavated, or preserved. These reports will later be collectively published in scientific journal or book as the site report. ![]() Each specialist involved in an excavation will usually be responsible for writing a report of his or her findings at the site. That any off-site processing be performed quickly is desirable so that the documentation of all artifacts found at the site may proceed without delay. The objects are finally wrapped for transfer to an off-site laboratory. By comparing these object groupings with the stratigraphic positions in which the objects were found, the archeologist has a basis for assigning relative ages (older vs. Artifacts are then sorted according to type of material, e.g., stone, ceramic, metal, glass, or bone, and after that into subgroups based on similarities in shape, manner of decoration, or method of manufacture. Delicate pieces may be protected in plaster, polyurethane foam, resin, or latex rubber.Īfter an artifact's position has been mapped and recorded in field notes, the artifact is taken to the site laboratory to be cleaned and labeled. It is important in these cases that an archeological conservator be present at the excavation site to assist in the recovery of artifacts. Even in dry caves, some recovered materials may require special treatment if they are to be preserved. In wet or submerged sites, the recovery of artifacts is rendered more difficult by the tendency of the artifacts to disintegrate when dried too rapidly. ![]() Charcoal samples can be retrieved for age dating in the laboratory using carbon-14 (radiocarbon), for example. ![]() Material from ancient hearths may contain seeds, hulls, and small animal bones that help archeologists decipher the diet of that site's occupants. For example, sediments may provide microscopic pollen grains that will aid paleoclimatic reconstructions. This allows recovery of artifacts that typical field-screening techniques would miss. Recovered artifacts are placed in bags (and sometimes assigned field numbers) before being sent to a laboratory for analysis.īesides artifacts, archeologists may take sediment samples from a site back to the laboratory for fine-screening. Some archeologists use specially prepared data sheets to record information about recovered artifacts that is later entered into a computer. Each step of the excavation is recorded with detailed maps and photographs of the site. To understand context, one must take care to document the artifact's exact horizontal and vertical positions, its relationship to the stratum in which it was found (that is, its stratigraphic position), and any cultural factors that contributed to its location. When collecting artifacts from an archeological site, the archeologist endeavors to establish and document the context in which an artifact was found. However, archeological excavation and artifact retrieval always proceeds by well-established methods designed to record as much information as possible about a site and its artifact assemblage, or group of recovered objects. Some artifacts are discovered by accident, for example, by a farmer plowing his field or by a construction worker digging a building foundation. There are also limitations on the amount of scientific information that artifacts alone can provide.Īn artifact is any object that was intentionally designed and shaped through human efforts. Artifacts, and their context, help archaeologists describe and compare aspects of past cultures, as well as form a chronology of those cultures. However, most of the information from archaeological excavation is gathered from an artifact's context, or where an artifact is found, and with what other items it is recovered. Whether priceless or common, artifacts are key to deciphering the archaeological record and garnering information about how people lived in the past. Artifacts are often the most intriguing part of archaeological research.
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