Stratification and Site Formation Quiz

Study Notes

Stratification and Site Formation

Strata are layers of sediment or soil created over time, providing a record of human activity and environmental change.
Stratigraphy is the study of these layers, revealing the chronological sequence of archaeological artifacts.
Law of Superposition states that in undisturbed strata, older layers are found at the bottom, while newer layers are on top.
Site Formation refers to the processes that form archaeological sites, influenced by both natural and human factors.
Geoarchaeology combines geology and archaeology to understand site formation and the environmental context of archaeological sites.
Soil is composed of layers of minerals and organic matter, providing insights into site formation and environmental conditions.

Environmental Factors

Eolian sediments are transported by wind and typically form in arid environments.
Alluvial sediments are deposited by flowing water, usually found in river valleys or floodplains.
Colluvial sediments are moved downslope by gravity, commonly found in hilly or mountainous areas.
Tephra, volcanic ash or fragments, can help date sites by providing time markers.

Site Disturbances

Bioturbation is the disturbance of soil or sediment by living organisms, affecting archaeological layers.
Cryoturbation involves freeze-thaw cycles that disturb soil and can move artifacts within layers.
Agilliturbation refers to soil movement caused by shrinking and swelling of clays, disrupting stratigraphy.
Graviturbation is the movement of soil and artifacts downslope due to gravity.

Zooarchaeology

Zooarchaeology examines animal remains to understand past human diets, economies, and environments.
MNI (Minimum Number of Individuals) represents the smallest number of individuals needed to account for all bones found at a site.
NISP (Number of Identified Specimens) is the count of identified bones or specimens, useful for estimating population size.
Element refers to specific parts of the skeleton, such as the femur or rib.
Taxon (plural, taxa) is a classification of organisms, like species or genus, identified at archaeological sites.
Axial and appendicular describe skeletal structures; axial includes the skull, spine, and ribs, and appendicular encompasses limbs.

Paleoethnobotany

Paleoethnobotany studies ancient plant remains to understand past diets, agriculture, and ecological conditions.
Palynology analyzes pollen grains to reconstruct past environments and vegetation.
Phytoliths are silica particles from plants that persist in soil, used to identify past vegetation.
Coprolites, fossilized feces, provide information on diet and environment.
Macrobotanicals are plant remains visible to the naked eye, used to analyze diet and environment.
Flotation is an archaeological technique that separates plant remains from soil using water.
Pack rat middens are debris left by pack rats, which can preserve plant remains, providing climate and vegetation data.

Dating Methods

Stable isotopes are variants of elements that can indicate diet, migration, and environmental conditions.
Relative dating places events in sequence, while absolute dating provides a calendar date or age estimate.
Seriation is a relative dating method that orders artifacts chronologically based on stylistic changes.
Radiocarbon dating is an absolute dating method for organic materials up to ~50,000 years old, based on the decay of carbon-14.
Radiometric dating encompasses methods like radiocarbon dating, utilizing radioactive decay to determine the age of materials.
Dendrochronology is a dating technique based on tree rings, providing precise annual dates.
Archaeomagnetic dating is based on changes in Earth's magnetic field recorded in heated materials.
Trapped charge dating includes methods like thermoluminescence, dating materials by measuring trapped electrons.
Thermoluminescence is a trapped charge dating method for ceramics and burned stone artifacts.
Optical Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) is a trapped charge dating method for sediments exposed to light.

Cultural Heritage Management

Cultural Resource Management (CRM) is a field that manages and protects cultural heritage sites.
Antiquities Act (1906) protects archaeological sites on federal land.
National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) promotes preservation of historic sites and structures, including archaeological ones.
National Register of Historic Places is an official list of U.S. sites worthy of preservation.
Archaeological Resource Protection Act (ARPA) protects archaeological resources on federal and Native American lands.
NAGPRA (Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act) returns Native American cultural items and remains to communities.
UNESCO, a UN agency, promotes heritage preservation globally.

Historical Archaeology

Historical archaeology studies cultures with written records, often focusing on recent centuries.

Depositional Environments

Dry, cold, and anaerobic (oxygen-free) environments preserve sites better than others.

Description

Test your knowledge on the processes of stratification and site formation in archaeology. This quiz covers key concepts such as strata, stratigraphy, and the law of superposition. Explore how environmental factors influence archaeological sites and learn about geoarchaeology.