Sunday, 26 May 2013 Contexts in Archaeology Field Registration and Documentation Main Questions: (A) What is a locus?

When and why do we change loci? (B) What are isolated finds? What is an assemblage? What is an installation? (C) How do we identify and remove these? (D) What do we find (artifacts/ecofacts)? (E) What do we do when we uncover a find? How do we identify, label, and record it? (F) What information can we learn from each type of find? What is the next step? Learning Outcomes: This tutorial will focus on the methods of excavating contexts, both primary and arbitrary, and on their contents. TMs will also learn about finds, including how to identify and properly remove commonly found items (pottery, bones, carbonized remains, glass, shell, stone objects, metal objects, lithics, and faience). We will also cover more complex situations, such as artifacts in situ, installations, phytolith deposits, and whole vessels. The recording protocols for each step of the excavation process will be covered in detail (for squares, loci, small finds, and pottery).

Lesson Plan: A. A locus is a unit which is distinct from the material around it. If we dont see anything distinctive in the square, we excavate in straight, arbitrary passes until we do. As a general rule, we change loci when the character of what we are excavating changes. But all excavation units are arbitrary in two ways: (1) because we decide what goes with what, e.g. whether some material underneath a floor stays with the floor locus; (2) because every so often, for control, we will change locus even if the material has not changed. We excavate in 4m x 4m squares, with 1m baulks (square-spacers used to see stratigraphy, the different layers of sediment) in between. B. We uncover finds in three situations: isolated finds, out of their original contexts; in situ or articulated finds, in their original contexts; and finds in situ as part of a group of other related finds, called an assemblage. An installation is an architectural feature, such as a hearth, wall, kiln, or other immobile structure, often made of more than one entity (such as several stones in a row). C. JVRP staff will demonstrate excavation techniques in the field, but on the next page is a table showing what we do with each kind of typical find. Objects should NEVER BE PULLED OUT OF THE GROUND OR BAULK! It is tempting to want to pull a potsherd out of the baulk, but we need to document the context and measurable levels for everything we find, so dont give in! Installations are handled differently: they are documented in full (measurements, drawings, photographs), and usually removed in one carefully supervised event. If you think youve found a wall (three or more stones in a row is a good indicator), dont remove any of the stonesask a staff member before proceeding.

FIND TYPE Pottery Bone, horns, and teeth Lithics Stone objects (including tesserae) Shell Glass Carbonized remains (seeds, pits, charcoal) Metal objects (including coins) Whole vessels/fragments of distinct vessels Faience Phytolith Other organics Other, inorganic mystery items

HOW ITS HANDLED IN THE FIELD Pottery bucket Bone bag, sealed, but with puncture holes for air Flint bag, sealed Artifact box Shell bag, sealed Glass bag, sealed Tin foil packet in a plastic bagDONT TOUCH with your hands; use metal tools to retrieve it Plastic bag, open for air, but in a box for safekeeping Vessel bucket; packed in tin foil if sent for residue analysis Artifact box Plastic bag, open for air, but in a box for safekeeping Plastic bag, either open and in a box, or sealed with holes Artifact box

D. We find many different artifacts (finds altered or used by humans) and ecofacts (natural, unaltered finds in a cultural context) at the JVRP. After careful excavation, finds are collected as in the above table, and then documented and labeled for the office and further archaeological analysis. Here is a table explaining how to identify each type of find, and how it is categorized. Staff will explain the label abbreviations, and show examples in the tutorial. FIND TYPE Pottery Unarticulated animal bones, horns, and teeth Lithics Stone objects (grinding stones, pounders, tesserae, etc.) Shell Glass Carbonized remains (seeds, pits, charcoal) Metal objects (coins, etc.) Whole vessels/fragments of distinct vessels Faience (glassy, quartz ceramic) Phytolith (plant remains) Other organics Other, inorganic mystery items DESCRIPTION Ceramic material, with or without glaze/burnish Smooth and white; grey or blue if burned; have a holey appearance in their cross-sections Smooth stone, often with sharp edges Stones which should appear intentionally altered; basalt = dark grey, sometimes reddish, and with holes if weathered; it breaks in sheets, so rocks can appear to be objects even if theyre not! Looks like seashell, or like mother-of-pearl Usually: transparent = modern, opaque = ancient Black, sometimes powdery on the outside Bronze = usually teal; may be heavily corroded Obvious vessel shape, or complete ceramics Light blue-green, matte glaze; white inside Like thin white strings across a horizontal surface --LABEL PT LB FL AR LB LB LB AR VS AR LB LB AR

E. If you see something, say something! When you uncover a find, tell a staff member, and dont proceed with excavation until a staff member makes an assessment (we may need a locus change, etc.). You will quickly learn to discern between finds which can be put into their respective buckets and bags in the usual way (pottery and animal bones not in situ or articulated, flint, shell), and those which need special attention. Once you know how to identify pottery, bone, and flint, your supervisor will give you the O.K. to sort the finds yourself. Refer to the table above. F. Pottery and bone washing will be explained in other tutorials, but we have several specialists working on other types of finds at the JVRP. For each type of find, it is important to preserve as much information about the context and its condition, because someone in the future will need to reconstruct its life in order to study it effectively. KEY TERMS

artifact ecofact locus in situ articulated isolated find assemblage installation carbonized square baulk glaze/burnish

There are no silly questions, so please ask a staff member if anything is unclear!