Archaeological science

Archaeological science

Archaeological science, also known as archaeometry, consists of the application of scientific techniques and methodologies to archaeology.

Archaeological science ca be divided into the following areas: [Tite, M.S. (1991) Archaeological Science - past achievements and future prospects. "Archaeometry" 31 139-151.]

* physical and chemical dating methods which provide archaeologists with absolute and relative chronologies
* artefact studies incorporating:
*# provenance
*# technology
*# use
* environmental approaches which provide information on past landscapes, climates, flora, and fauna; as well as the diet, nutrition, health, and pathology of people
* mathematical methods for data treatment (also encompassing the role of computers in handling, analysing, and modeling the vast sources of data)
* remote-sensing and geophysical-survey applications comprising a battery of non-destructive techniques for the location and characterisation of buried features at the regional, microregional, and intra-site levels
* conservation sciences, involving the study of decay processes and the development of new methods of conservation [ See for example the "curriculum vitae" of a conservation scientist at http://s140940332.onlinehome.fr/cv/anglais/index_an.htm ]

Techniques such as lithic analysis, archaeometallurgy, paleoethnobotany, palynology and zooarchaeology also form sub-disciplines of archaeological science.

Archaeologists can obtain significant additional data and information using these techniques, and archeometry has the potential to alter the understanding of the past. The so-called "Second radiocarbon revolution" provides a good example of such alteration: it significantly re-dated European prehistory in the 1960s (the first radiocarbon revolution involved the original introduction of the method to archaeology from 1949).

Archaeological science has particular value when it can provide absolute dates for archaeological strata and artefacts. Some of most important dating techniques include:

* radiocarbon dating — especially for dating organic materials
* dendrochronology — for dating trees; also very important for calibrating radiocarbon dates
* thermoluminescence dating — for dating inorganic material (including ceramics)
* optically stimulated luminescence (OSL)/optical dating — for absolutely dating and relatively profiling buried land-surfaces in vertical and horizontal stratigraphic sections, most often by measuring photons discharged from grains of quartz within sedimentary bodies (although this technique can also measure feldspars, complications caused by internally-induced dose-rates often favour the use of quartz-based analyses in archaeological applications)
* electron spin resonance, as used (for example) in dating teeth
* potassium-argon dating — for dating (for example) fossilized hominid remains

However, archaeologists have applied archaeological science in many other ways as well. They have used a variety of methods to analyse artefacts, either to determine more about their composition, or to determine their provenance. These techniques include:

* X-ray fluorescence (XRF)
* inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS)
* neutron activation analysis (NAA)
* scanning electron microscopy (SEM)
* laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS)

Lead, strontium and oxygen isotope analysis can also test human remains to estimate the diets and even the birthplaces of a study's subjects.

Provenance analysis has the potential to determine the original source of the materials used, for example, to make a particular artefact. This can show how far the artefact has travelled and can indicate the existence of systems of exchange.

The use of remote sensing has enabled archaeologists to identify many more archaeological sites than they could have otherwise. The use of aerial photography remains the most wide-spread remote-sensing technique, but archaeologists have supplemented it with the use of satellite imagery, especially with the declassification of images from military satellites. Ground-based geophysical surveys often help to identify and map archaeological features within identified sites.

See also

* Post excavation
* Dating methodology (archaeology)

References


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Archaeological sub-disciplines — As with most academic disciplines, there are a number of archaeological sub disciplines typically characterised by a focus on a specific method or type of material, geographical or chronological focus, or other thematic concern. In addition,… …   Wikipedia

  • Archaeological theory — covers the debates over the practice of archaeology and the interpretation of archaeological results. There is no single theory of archaeology, and even definitions are disputed. Until the mid 20th century and the introduction of technology,… …   Wikipedia

  • Archaeological ethics — refers to a number of moral issues raised through the study of the material past.In common with other academic disciplines, archaeologists are bound to conduct their investigations to a high standard and observe intellectual property laws, Health …   Wikipedia

  • Science and technology in Korea — Like most other regions in the world, science and technology in Korea has experienced periods of intense growth as well as long periods of stagnation. Past kingdoms and dynasties in Korea were often invaded and the aftermath of the these… …   Wikipedia

  • Archaeological association — Association in archaeology has more than one meaning and is confusing to the layman. Archaeology has been critiqued as a soft science with a somewhat poor standardization of terms.Finds and objectsAssociated finds or objects refers to a close… …   Wikipedia

  • science, history of — Introduction       the history of science from its beginnings in prehistoric times to the 20th century.       On the simplest level, science is knowledge of the world of nature. There are many regularities in nature that mankind has had to… …   Universalium

  • archaeological — adjective Relating to the science or research of archaeology …   Wiktionary

  • McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research — The McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research is a research institute of the University of Cambridge in England. Contents 1 History 2 Mission and purpose 3 References 4 External links …   Wikipedia

  • History of Indian science and technology — [ thumb|200px|right|Hand propelled wheel cart, Indus Valley Civilization (3000–1500 BCE). Housed at the National Museum, New Delhi.] [ thumb|right|200px|The Pundit (explorer) and Indian cartographer Nain Singh Rawat (19th century CE) received a… …   Wikipedia

  • History of science and technology in China — Inventions …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”