Archaeology

The historic periodcorrect answersthe last 5000 years of history - that period of time since the appearance of writing Primary recordscorrect answersaccounts(usually written) of an event by someone who saw it happen. Secondary recordscorrect answersaccounts(usually written) that are made after an event by someone who was not there. (example: a history text) The prehistoric periodcorrect answersthat period of time prior to written records. (5000 years ago and longer) Artifactscorrect answersany object made, used, or modified by people. They are portable and can be removed from the site. Examples include tools, weapons, pottery, etc. Shardscorrect answerspieces of broken pottery Excavationcorrect answersa dig conducted by archaeologists to find evidence of past human activity buried in the ground. Experimental archaeologycorrect answersancient conditions are recreated so that an archaeologist can test a hypothesis. Anthropologistcorrect answerstrained professionals who study human beings and human society Archaeological sitecorrect answersA place or location that contains evidence of past human activity. This evidence consists of artifacts and/or features. The type of artifacts and features found vary depending on the kind of site. The size of archaeological sites also varies. Artifactcorrect answersAn object made, used, or modified by humans. It is something that is portable and can be removed from the site. Faunal remainscorrect answerspreserved animal remains recovered from an archaeological site. Faunal remains can provide information about past environment, climate, diet, hunting practices, and season of site usage. They include animal bone, teeth, antler, horn, and shells. Faunal remains are rare because they are organic and usually decompose rapidly. If present, faunal remains can be recovered by screening the soil or using a process called flotation where the soil sample is dissolved in water and the faunal remains float to the surface. Flakingcorrect answersA method of stone tool manufacturing that was in use by the Coast Salish people for at least 6 000 years. Tools were shaped and formed by knocking flakes of stone from a core using a hammerstone. Examples of flake tools include projectile points and pebble tools. Floral remainscorrect answersPreserved plant remains recovered from an archaeological site. Examples include seeds, leaves, nut shells, fruit, and plant fragments. Floral remains can provide information about past environment, climate, diet, and season of site usage. Faunal remains are rare because they are organic and usually decompose rapidly. If present, floral remains can be recovered by screening the soil or using a process called flotation where the soil sample is dissolved in water and the floral remains float to the surface. In situcorrect answersThe original location or position of artifacts and features in the archaeological site. Artifacts and features give archaeologists more information about ancient peoples when found in situ. Stratigraphycorrect answersthe natural layering of cultural deposits and natural soil layers that build up on a site over a long period of time. These soil layers will often be different in color and texture from each other. The most recent artifacts and features are found closer to the surface, and the oldest deposits are at the bottom.