What are the four main categories of archaeological record?
All archaeological materials can be grouped into four main categories: (1) artifacts, (2) ecofacts, (3) structures, and (4) features associated with human activity.
What is archaeological classification?
Classification is probably the single most basic analytical procedure employed in archaeology. Excavation yields a wide variety of material objects, and before they can be studied in any systematic way they must be sorted into recurring types on the basis of shared characteristics (attributes).
What is an archaeological journal?
The Archaeological Journal presents the results of archaeological and architectural survey and fieldwork on sites and monuments of all periods as well as syntheses and overviews of such work in the British Isles.
What is archaeology jstor?
It is a publication of the Archaeological Institute of America, a 133-year-old nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of human heritage. Coverage: 1948-2019 (Vol.
What three things constitute the archaeological record?
The archaeological record is material culture. The archaeological record is the material remains of the past. The archaeological record is the sources used by archaeologists.
How old is the archaeological record?
2.5 million years ago
Behavioral change was likely a driving factor in the evolution of our species, and archaeology therefore plays a central role in understanding human origins from the beginning of the known archaeological record some 2.5 million years ago.
Why do we classify archaeological materials?
A major goal of archaeological classification is to arrange artifactual material in an orderly manner that provides a “window” opening onto the lifeway of a past group of people. A classification can give the archaeologist insight into the cultural framework of a past society.
What are the classification of artifacts?
Artifacts are then sorted according to type of material—e.g., stone, ceramic, metal, glass, or bone—then into subgroups based on similarities in shape, manner of decoration, or method of manufacture.
Is the American Journal of Archaeology peer-reviewed?
The American Journal of Archaeology, the journal of the Archaeological Institute of America, was founded in 1885 and is one of the world’s most distinguished and widely distributed peer-reviewed archaeological journals.
How is science used in Archaeology?
Many other scientific methods, from imaging to physical, chemical and biological analysis have been enthusiastically embraced by archaeology, as they often provide the best means to understand the date, geographic origins, manufacture and use of the artefacts we study, as well as the ancestry, diet and life-histories …
What is history archaeology?
In the strictest sense, historical archaeology is the archaeology of societies that left behind historical records. These records are generally written materials, but oral histories can also be used. The historic period begins at very different times in different parts of the world.