judith habicht-mauche, ucsc, spring 2005 remember unit 4 quiz this week available tuesday 3:00 pm...

Judith Habicht-Mauche, UCSC, Spring 2005

REMEMBERREMEMBER

UNIT 4 QUIZ THIS WEEKUNIT 4 QUIZ THIS WEEK

Available Tuesday 3:00 pm through Available Tuesday 3:00 pm through Friday midnight. Friday midnight.


Gravestone Seriation ReportsGravestone Seriation Reports

Due is Sections this Week.Due is Sections this Week.


Check Book Review Check Book Review Assignment Lists Assignment Lists in Section Roomin Section Room

You MUST read the book that you You MUST read the book that you have been assignedhave been assigned

Also pick up set of reading and writing prompts in Section Room


ExcavationExcavation““Archaeologists murder their informants Archaeologists murder their informants

when they question them”~when they question them”~K. FlanneryK. Flannery

Control location of artifacts and features in Control location of artifacts and features in three dimensionsthree dimensions (x,y,z coordinates) (x,y,z coordinates)Grid SystemGrid System--controls x, y coordinates--controls x, y coordinatesDatumDatum--fixed elevation--fixed elevation

Old Technology:Old Technology: tape measure, plum bob, tape measure, plum bob, pencil and graph paperpencil and graph paper

New Technology:New Technology: GPS, TMS, etc. GPS, TMS, etc.


Excavation Strategies (1)Excavation Strategies (1) Vertical Pits or TrenchesVertical Pits or Trenches

Diachronic:Diachronic: examines examines changes through timechanges through time

Example: Pajarito Project, NM Example: Pajarito Project, NM (1982)(1982)

Three single component sites from different temporal periodsVertical test pits (“telephone booths”) in middensFlotation samples taken from each arbitrary 10 cm level

Early Coalition Period

Late Coalition Period


Excavation Strategies (2)Excavation Strategies (2)

Open Area/Horizontal ExcavationsOpen Area/Horizontal ExcavationsSynchronic:Synchronic: snapshot of snapshot of

activities and associations at activities and associations at one point in timeone point in time

Example: Duncan Site, OK Example: Duncan Site, OK (1984)(1984)

Single component, short term, seasonal occupationRemove plow zone to reveal features (pits, posts, hearths)


Unit 4Unit 4RECOVERING & INTERPRETING RECOVERING & INTERPRETING

EVIDENCEEVIDENCE

Lecture 2: Lecture 2:

Site Formation Processes and Site Formation Processes and Middle Range ResearchMiddle Range Research


Lewis Binford (1983)Lewis Binford (1983)

““The archaeological record is The archaeological record is contemporary; it exists with me contemporary; it exists with me today and any observation I today and any observation I make about it is a contemporary make about it is a contemporary observation.”observation.”


How can we make inferences about How can we make inferences about the past based on observations in the past based on observations in the present?the present?

Archaeological Context:Archaeological Context:Static material record in the presentStatic material record in the present

Systemic Context:Systemic Context:Dynamic human actions in the pastDynamic human actions in the past

Need to establish bridging arguments (if-then statements) that link the dynamic actions of the past to their material correlates in the present.


Site Formation ProcessesSite Formation Processes(Michael Schiffer)(Michael Schiffer)

Study of Study of how the archaeological record how the archaeological record is formedis formed

how things move, and are transformed how things move, and are transformed as they move, from as they move, from systemic contextssystemic contexts into into archaeological contexts.archaeological contexts.


Cultural ProcessesCultural Processes

DepositionDepositionReclamationReclamation

Example: Stone Lion Shrine, New MexicoExample: Stone Lion Shrine, New Mexico

ReuseReuseDisturbanceDisturbance


Non-Cultural ProcessesNon-Cultural Processes

Differential PreservationDifferential PreservationCatastrophic EventsCatastrophic Events

Examples: Pompeii, Cerén Examples: Pompeii, Cerén Natural DisturbanceNatural Disturbance

Patterns we recover archaeologically are not always a direct reflection of past human behavior.


Middle Range ResearchMiddle Range Research

Body of Body of theory and practicetheory and practice that that attempts to attempts to bridge the gapbridge the gap between the between the dynamicsdynamics of of past human behaviorpast human behavior and and its its material consequencesmaterial consequences in the in the present.present.


Middle Range Research is…Middle Range Research is…

ActualisticActualistic from Latin root from Latin root actuoactuo = present = present

based on based on Observation, Experiment, Observation, Experiment, AnalogyAnalogy

informed by informed by Uniformitarian Uniformitarian assumptionsassumptions

Same methods used by other sciences, like astronomy, geology, forensics


Analogy & Uniformitarianism in Analogy & Uniformitarianism in Middle Range ResearchMiddle Range Research

The present

The past

experiment, ethnoarchaeology, etc.

Controlled comparison


Middle Range Research and TruthMiddle Range Research and Truth

Archaeological stories are Archaeological stories are not “true” or not “true” or “false”“false”; not “right” or “wrong”.; not “right” or “wrong”.

But only But only “more or less convincing”“more or less convincing” (robust) based on the strength of the (robust) based on the strength of the observations, experiments, and observations, experiments, and analogies used to construct them.analogies used to construct them.


Building Analogy through Building Analogy through Middle Range Research (1)Middle Range Research (1)

Ethnographic and Historic AnalogyEthnographic and Historic AnalogyDirect Ethnographic Analogy (“living Direct Ethnographic Analogy (“living

fossils”)fossils”)Direct Historical ApproachDirect Historical Approach

Example: A.V. Kidder at PecosExample: A.V. Kidder at Pecos



Ethnoarchaeology/Living ArchaeologyEthnoarchaeology/Living ArchaeologyEthnography done by archaeologists, Ethnography done by archaeologists,

directed toward answering very specific directed toward answering very specific middle range questions.middle range questions.Example: Lewis Binford among the Nunamiut Example: Lewis Binford among the Nunamiut

caribou hunters of Alaskacaribou hunters of Alaska



Experimental ArchaeologyExperimental ArchaeologyExample: Lawrence Keeley (1977)--stone Example: Lawrence Keeley (1977)--stone

tool replication and edge-wear analysistool replication and edge-wear analysisConfirmed and contradicted some common Confirmed and contradicted some common

assumptions about prehistoric stone tool use assumptions about prehistoric stone tool use based on formal attributes.based on formal attributes.


Studies of Site Formation Processes Studies of Site Formation Processes and Middle Range Researchand Middle Range Research

One of the most important and lasting One of the most important and lasting contributions of “Processual contributions of “Processual Archaeology” (1960s-1980s).Archaeology” (1960s-1980s).

Made archaeologists more aware of the Made archaeologists more aware of the sources of potential bias in our analogic sources of potential bias in our analogic arguments.arguments.

Made archaeological interpretations Made archaeological interpretations stronger and more convincing.stronger and more convincing.

judith habicht-mauche, ucsc, spring 2005 remember unit 4 quiz this week available tuesday 3:00 pm...

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