ANT312H5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Radiocarbon Dating, Harris Matrix, Relative Dating
14 Dec 2016
School
Department
Course
Professor
Nerdy Nummys
ANT312
Exclude grave markers in methods. If does not match category can use judgemental sampling or exclude
it.
Judgemental sampling optimal in cases
4- Stratigraphy and |Harris Matrix
Stratigraphy
- Interpretation of strata
- Sequentially layered depsoits resulting from cultural and natural processes
Dimensions to record on sediment
- Texture: grain size, grain shape- ex. Clay, silt, very fine sand, fine sand, medium sand, pebble,
cobble
- Colour
- Compaction- activity that happened in present or past. Can relate to texture- colay more
compact than sand
- Inclusions- soil is made of minerals, organic matter, rocks, charcoal, roots, artifacts
- Where will be the profile
Profiles
- Draw them or can take pictures (will show differeneces in colour but if difference in texture is in
compaction it wont show)
- Draw what you see
- Measurements
- Has to be on scale, North, Profile being drawn, legend
Why is it important?
- Relative dating
- Interpretation of deposits ( what activities or natural processes explain their formation and
modification). What happened there. Clay deposited at bottom of slow moving rivers. If you
have a mix that are heterogenous, have mix of sediments and related to human activity.
- Information recorded will help reconstruct the event that formed the layers
Relative dating
- Stratigraphy
- Seriation
- Fluorine: absorbed through ground overtime
Absolute Dating
- Radiocarbon dating:
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
- Dendrochronology
- Archaeomagnetism
- Thermolumenineascene
Time and Scales of Measurement
- Ordinal: relative dating methods
- Interval: chronometric dates
- Ratio: oly whe we ca idetify a zero poit specific to the etity of iterest. Eg. A perso’s
birth
Direct vs. Indirect Dating
- Target event: event that we want a date for
- Direct date: based on attributes of the vent, or artifact/ecofact itself
- Indirect Date: dates for an event(s) that are associated with the target event
Context
- Primary context: artifacts in stratum are undisturbed result from human activity
- Secondary Context: moved from original location
- Can be moved by humans or natural phenomenon
Formation Processes
- Events that created and affected an archaeological site after its creation
- Additive
- Subtractive
- Pedoturbation: move things around I nthe soil
Sediments Vs. Soils
- Soils: weathering profiles of pre-existing sediments with in situ physical and chemical alteration
(ex.podzol). minerals are leeched. Water coming into soil, will leech iron on top to the bottom.
Will have two different colours. Top layer not always recent than the bottom layer. Top layer
contains more organic matter
- Truesoil- undisturbed for many year
- Sediment: inorganic or organic particles deposited by natural or human processes
- Additive process: one layer is put under the other layer. Can draw conclusion of sediment layers
Natural Additive Processes
- Wind, Aeolian
- Water-alluvial
- Gravity- colluvial
- Volcanic
Cultural Additive Layers
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
If does not match category can use judgemental sampling or exclude it. Sequentially layered depsoits resulting from cultural and natural processes. Clay, silt, very fine sand, fine sand, medium sand, pebble, cobble. Compaction- activity that happened in present or past. Can relate to texture- colay more compact than sand. Inclusions- soil is made of minerals, organic matter, rocks, charcoal, roots, artifacts. Draw them or can take pictures (will show differeneces in colour but if difference in texture is in compaction it wont show) Has to be on scale, north, profile being drawn, legend. Interpretation of deposits ( what activities or natural processes explain their formation and modification). Clay deposited at bottom of slow moving rivers. If you have a mix that are heterogenous, have mix of sediments and related to human activity. Information recorded will help reconstruct the event that formed the layers. Ratio: o(cid:374)ly whe(cid:374) we ca(cid:374) ide(cid:374)tify a zero poi(cid:374)t specific to the e(cid:374)tity of i(cid:374)terest.
