Archaeological Field Survey Research Articles

Seeing Voices and Changing Relationships: Film, Archaeological Reporting, and the Landscape of People in Sphakia

Film is an excellent way of showing human interaction with the landscape, as anthropologists and, more recently, archaeologists have realized. Film also raises other issues that are important to a reflexive and interactive archaeology: the relationship between archaeological investigators and local people, the desirability of reporting in various ways to various constituencies, the use of film as an appropriate way of reporting, and the value of people's responses to film for further archaeological analysis. Here the issues are discussed in the context of making a film about the Sphakia Survey, an archaeological field survey in southwestern Crete.

Settlement dynamics in Co Meath: the kingdom of Lóegaire

This paper is a survey of settlement in the Meath petty kingdom of Lóegaire, secular and ecclesiastical, early medieval, Norman, and early modern, based on archaeological field surveys and such historical sources as annals, genealogies and hagiography. Enclosed and unenclosed secular sites and ecclesiastical sites are discussed. Known ringforts remain scare (eleven certain instances and several dubious ones in the core area), among them a multivallate on the Hill of Ward that commanded the NW border. Their distribution and morphology is discussed. The chronology of most church sites, difficult to establish without excavation, remains undetermined but Trim, to which many other churches were subject, was an early foundation of St Lommán, later subject to Armagh. Main lines of communication ran through Lóegaire—Slige Assail, Rót na cCarpat, Slige Mór and others routes as well as the rivers Boyne and Blackwater, and these opened up Lóegaire to Viking activity. Possible sites and artifacts related to the Vikings are discussed. Special atention is paid to sites such as Odba and Navan in early and later medieval times.

Social Change and Land Use in Prehistoric Dalmatia

The Neothermal Dalmatia Project is an Anglo-Yugoslav collaborative project whose aims are to define and explain changes in physical environment, settlement pattern and social structure in north Dalmatia over the last 12 millennia. The Project's fieldwork included archaeological field survey, analytical survey, trial excavation of Neolithic, Copper Age, Bronze Age, Iron Age and Roman sites, soil and land use mapping, ethnographic survey of modern villages and hamlets and palaeoenvironmental reconstructions (pollen, sediments, sea-level change, etc.). Within the long-term constraints of a limestone-dominated study region, the short-term events and medium-term agrarian and demographic cycles of the Dalmatian social groups have been studied in an inter-disciplinary manner. In this article, an attempt is made to examine the environmental and archaeological data within the frameworks of four explanatory models: the Land Use Capability (LUC) Model, the Cyclic Intensification–Deintensification (CID) Model, the Communal Ownership of Property (COP) Model and the Arenas of Social Power (ASP) Model. In the LUC model, reconstructions of past land use capabilities are used to derive postdictions of the most likely settlement patterns for successive periods (Neolithic–Roman); a high degree of postdictive success is met. In the CID model, Bintliff's model of cyclic variations in agricultural intensification and private land-holding is refined and tested against survey and excavation data. In the COP model, Fleming's model of communal land ownership is tested against similar data, with contrasting results. Finally, the ASP model is used to explain the expanded range of arenas of social power which develops from a place-based worldview in the early farming period. The conjoint use of these four explanatory models, which operate at different scales of duration, provides a broader basis for understanding changes in the prehistory of north Dalmatia in the Neothermal period than had previously been constructed.

Holocene alluviation and land‐use change on Callaly Moor, Northumberland, England

AbstractArchaeological survey and palaeoenvironmental investigations in Coe Burn, Callaly Moor, Northumberland, have examined the chronology and nature of prehistoric and historic land‐use change in a small upland river catchment. These studies have revealed an intensively used landscape with evidence of late Neolithic to Bronze Age, medieval and post‐medieval land use and settlement. Two episodes of valley floor alluviation are identified and dated to the middle‐late Bronze Age and post‐medieval periods. Magnetic mineral and geochemical analyses of fine sediments from the older alluvial fill show it to contain a high proportion of topsoil, which is believed to have been produced by soil erosion resulting from Bronze Age tree clearance and cultivation. Deposition of the younger alluvial fill (post AD 1500) was associated with the inwash of relatively unweathered bedrock generated by coal mining in the catchment. It is demonstrated that by integrating archaeological field survey with off‐site palaeoenvironmental investigations a much fuller picture of human activity and land‐use change has emerged than otherwise would have been the case. Studies of this type may be particularly useful in other upland river catchments where archaeological survival is limited or poor.

The interpretation of noisy data from archaeological field survey: Phosphate analysis

High soil phosphate concentrations are commonly related to intense past human activity although full understanding of this relationship requires further research. At present, practical constraints in the field, the need for extensive sampling and for rapid results, leads to the archaeologist frequently using crude but portable techniques of chemical analysis. The problems associated with the collection and interpretation of archaeological soil phosphate data are discussed. The use of Bayesian change-point analysis is proposed as a suitable statistical aid to the interpretation of such data.

Archaeological Field Survey in Britain and Abroad. By Sarah Macready and F. H. Thompson.

Previous articleNext article No AccessBook ReviewsArchaeological Field Survey in Britain and Abroad. By Sarah Macready and F. H. Thompson.David W. RuppDavid W. Rupp Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by American Journal of Archaeology Volume 91, Number 1January 1987 The journal of the Archaeological Institute of America Views: 1Total views on this site Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.2307/505463 Views: 1Total views on this site Copyright © 1987 by the Archaeological Institute of America. All rights reserved.PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

Archaeological Field Survey in Britain and Abroad. Edited by SarahMacreadyand F. H. Thompson

Archaeological Field Survey in Britain and Abroad. Edited by S<scp>arah</scp>M<scp>acready</scp>and F. H. T<scp>hompson</scp>

Artefact Analysis of a 3450 Year Old Open Site at Quaker's Hill on the Cumberland Plain, New South Wales

The Cumberland Plain has been the focus of a large number of archaeological field surveys in the last decade. Most of these studies have been primarily concerned with the location, recording and assessment of sites endangered by the spread of Sydney's Western Suburbs. Over 90% of the sites which have been recorded are open sites, consisting of stone artefact scatters. To date, only five of these sites, including the site described in this paper, have been excavated. Two of these were found to be extensively disturbed, and a mere three contain datable, undisturbed, deposits. One of these sites, at Second Ponds Creek, has been previously dated to 600-700 years (Kohen 1984a). The present site is the oldest east of the Nepean River on the Cumberland Plain for which a date has been established. The site was excavated as part of a salvage program commissioned by the Metropolitan Water Sewerage and Drainage Board of New South Wales. The main aim of the excavation was to determine if in situ occupation deposit occurred within those sections of the site scheduled to be destroyed by the laying of a pipeline by the Water Board.

The Visit of theSt Jean-Baptisteexpedition to Doubtless Bay, New Zealand, 17–31 December 1769

This paper discusses the French visit, in December 1769, of the St Jean-Baptiste expedition to Doubtless Bay, New Zealand, by Jean-Francois-Marie de Surville on his ill-fated voyage to the Pacific. A recent archaeological field survey of two former Ngatikahu fortfied settlements (pa), Rangiaohia and Patia, were related to the journal descriptions and manuscript chart surveys compiled at Doubtless Bay by the French officers. The combination of historic written and graphic records, with contemporary field survey, has helped to reveal the physical and cultural landscape at time of first contact between European and Maori.

The Political Geography of the Sixteenth Century Yucatan Maya: Comments and Revisions

Research on the political geography of sixteenth-century Yucatán is reviewed, and recent revisions of the traditional reconstruction advanced by Ralph L. Roys (1957) are discussed. Using data from historical sources and archaeological field surveys, additional changes in the boundaries of the provinces of Cupul, Chikinchel, and Tases are proposed.

Archaeological Field Survey and the Danish Natural Gas Project

Archaeological Field Survey and the Danish Natural Gas Project

The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland Archaeological Field Survey

The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland Archaeological Field Survey

Archaeological field survey in northern Scotland: Volume 1, by R. J. Mercer, with a contribution by J. M. Howell. 157 pp., 35 figs. University of Edinburgh Occasional Paper No. 4, 1980. Price £5.00. Volume 2, by R. J. Mercer, 170 pp. and 49 figs. University of Edinburgh Occasional Paper No. 7, 1981. Price £5.00.

Archaeological field survey in northern Scotland: Volume 1, by R. J. Mercer, with a contribution by J. M. Howell. 157 pp., 35 figs. University of Edinburgh Occasional Paper No. 4, 1980. Price £5.00. Volume 2, by R. J. Mercer, 170 pp. and 49 figs. University of Edinburgh Occasional Paper No. 7, 1981. Price £5.00. - Volume 48 Issue 1

A Report on Literature Search and Archaeological Survey in the Vicinity of Point Comfort, Calhoun County, Texas

During May 1979, archaeologists from the Center for Archaeological Research, The University of Texas at San Antonio, conducted literature research and an archaeological field survey of an area to be developed by the Formosa Plastic Company near Point Comfort, Calhoun County, Texas. The field and literature survey was done under contract between the Center for Archaeological Research (UTSA) and the Pace Company of Houston, Texas. In this report, the results of the field survey are presented by Thomas C. Kelly, Research Associate of the Center; the literature review was prepared by Herbert Uecker, Technical Staff Assistant. All project work was done under the supervision of Dr. Thomas R. Hester, Director of the Center, and Mr. Jack D. Eaton, Assistant Director.

Techniques used in archeological field surveys

As with radiocarbon dating also the subject of archaeological prospecting now has a reasonably long and full development. Even so it is probable that there remain those both on the archae­ological and on the scientific side who are not completely clear as to what has and can be done. Thus it was most opportune that the present paper could be included in the symposium in the hope that this may encourage even further use and development of the methods. While there exist a whole range of possible techniques for archaeological field surveys those of geophysical prospecting enter most closely within the general topic of this symposium and so will mainly be concentrated upon. In all cases the basic aim of any survey will be that of discovering information on buried archaeological sites either before or instead of excavation. The value of such information in part depends on the fact that normally the archaeological deposits will not be disturbed while almost always the surveying can be carried out relatively rapidly; at least compared to the time required for excavation. This gaining of information on the hidden archaeological features is the main reason for the use of prospecting methods. However their value for archaeology has been greatly increased as a result of the difficulties caused by modern developments. So many of these tend to result in damage to or even complete destruction of archaeological sites. Often either the existence of a site or its exact extent will be unknown with the result that there is no chance to undertake an adequate investigation before all is lost. If a sufficiently clear idea could be obtained sufficiently quickly then much more could be done. Such applications represent one of the most important aids offered to archae­ology by prospecting techniques. Even so it must not be forgotten that they have much to offer irrespective of these present-day practical problems and it is worth underlining their value in giving information, often in some detail, without any disturbance to the archaeological features.

Some Unexploited Possibilities in Ceramic Analysis

Previous articleNext article No AccessSome Unexploited Possibilities in Ceramic AnalysisMartin A. Baumhoff and Robert F. HeizerMartin A. Baumhoff Search for more articles by this author and Robert F. Heizer Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Volume 15, Number 3Autumn, 1959 Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/soutjanth.15.3.3628980 Views: 4Total views on this site Citations: 13Citations are reported from Crossref Journal History This article was published in the Southwestern Journal of Anthropology (1945-1972), which is continued by the Journal of Anthropological Research (1973-present). PDF download Crossref reports the following articles citing this article:Jitte Waagen Breakage, bias and the archaeological surface record: Assessing the quantification problem in archaeological field survey, Archaeometry 64, no.22 (Nov 2021): 529–544.https://doi.org/10.1111/arcm.12720Kirk Damon Straight A HOUSEFUL OF POTS: APPLYING ETHNOARCHAEOLOGICAL DATA TO ESTIMATE ANNUAL CERAMIC VESSEL CONSUMPTION RATES OF CLASSIC MAYA HOUSEHOLDS, Ancient Mesoamerica 28, no.11 (Mar 2017): 95–117.https://doi.org/10.1017/S0956536116000407D. Mateo Corredor, J. Molina Vidal Archaeological Quantification of Pottery: The Rims Count Adjusted using the Modulus of Rupture (MR), Archaeometry 58, no.22 (May 2015): 333–346.https://doi.org/10.1111/arcm.12171John W. Arthur Understanding Household Population through Ceramic Assemblage Formation: Ceramic Ethnoarchaeology among the Gamo of Southwestern Ethiopia, American Antiquity 74, no.11 (Jan 2017): 31–48.https://doi.org/10.1017/S0002731600047491Alan P. Sullivan Ethnoarchaeological and Archaeological Perspectives on Ceramic Vessels and Annual Accumulation Rates of Sherds, American Antiquity 73, no.11 (Jan 2017): 121–135.https://doi.org/10.1017/S0002731600041317Masakazu Tani, William A. Longacre On Methods of Measuring Ceramic Uselife: A Revision of the Uselife Estimates of Cooking Vessels among the Kalinga, Philippines, American Antiquity 64, no.22 (Jan 2017): 299–308.https://doi.org/10.2307/2694280Mark D. Varien, Barbara J. Mills Accumulations research: Problems and prospects for estimating site occupation span, Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory 4, no.22 (Jun 1997): 141–191.https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02428057Mark D. Varien, James M. Potter Unpacking the Discard Equation: Simulating the Accumulation of Artifacts in the Archaeological Record, American Antiquity 62, no.22 (Jan 2017): 194–213.https://doi.org/10.2307/282506John E. Byrd, Dalford D. Owens A Method for Measuring Relative Abundance of Fragmented Archaeological Ceramics, Journal of Field Archaeology 24, no.33 (Jul 2013): 315–320.https://doi.org/10.1179/009346997792208168C. ORTON HOW MANY POTS MAKE FIVE??AN HISTORICAL REVIEW OF POTTERY QUANTIFICATION, Archaeometry 35, no.22 (Aug 1993): 169–184.https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-4754.1993.tb01033.xAlan P. Sullivan The technology of ceramic reuse: Formation processes and archaeological evidence, World Archaeology 21, no.11 (Jun 1989): 101–114.https://doi.org/10.1080/00438243.1989.9980093ALAN P. SULLIVAN Inference and Evidence in Archaeology: A Discussion of the Conceptual Problems, (Jan 1978): 183–222.https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-003101-6.50012-3George M. Foster Life-Expectancy of Utilitarian Pottery in Tzintzuntzan, Michoacan, Mexico, American Antiquity 25, no.44 (Jan 2017): 606–609.https://doi.org/10.2307/276647