Download Relative dating

Selected archaeological methods
on the example of Khirbet
Qeiyafa
Archaeological survey
• A method, when archaeologists search for
archaeological sites and collect information
about the location, distribution and
organization of the daily life
Regular survey x rescue survey
• Rescue -"preventive" or "salvage" survey is a survey and excavation
carried out in areas threatened by, or revealed by, construction or other
development. These conditions could include the building of dams
where sites of interest might exist in the flood plain, highway projects,
or before war operations.
• Speed, undertaken
• May include in situ preservation of any finds, or protective measures
taken to preserve an unexcavated site beneath a building
• Developers must announce their plans before the architectural work
and must allow the archaeological exploration
Non-intrunsive x intrunsive
survey
• in a non-intrusive survey, nothing is touched, just
recorded. An accurate survey of the earthworks
and other features can enable them to be
interpreted without the need for excavation
• An intrusive survey can mean different things. In
some cases, all artifacts of archaeological value
are collected. This is often the case if it is a rescue
survey, but less common in a regular survey.
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Rationales to survey
Artifacts found: Locals have picked up physical artifacts, sometimes held by
the local museum but more often collected in private homes or old buildings
such as churches and synagogues, and it is unclear where they are coming
from.
Literary sources: Old literary sources have provided archaeologists with clues
about settlement locations that have not been archaeologically documented.
Sometimes the texts may be quite recent; for instance, a book on local history
may mention an interesting area.
Oral sources: In many locations, local stories contain some hint of a greater
past, and often they have a basis in history. For instance, someone may
remember that a grandfather who used to walk the hills as a shepherd used to
talk about columns from an old temple, although the descendant never saw the
ruins.
Local knowledge: In many cases, locals know where to find something of
interest to archaeologists. They may not have reported it because of taking it as
part of their world, or because of fearing intrusions on their land or
community.
Previous surveys: In some places, a past survey may have been recorded in an
academic journal. The use of more recent technologies and finds from other
sites may provide reason to re-examine the site.
• Lack of knowledge: Many areas of the world have developed limited
knowledge about the nature and organization of past human activity at
the regional level. (Although one or more sites may be known from an
area, often little is known about the wider distribution of contemporary
settlements, and how settlement patterns may change over time.) An
archaeological field survey is the primary tool for discovering
information about previously uninvestigated areas.
• Archaeological hypotheses: Some kinds of archaeological theories —
about changes in agricultural strategies or population density for
example — are investigated or tested through the use of archaeological
surveys of areas that should or should not contain particular kinds of
archaeological materials if the theory is true.
Why to dig in Khirbet Qeiyafa?
• Geopolitical importance
• Situation between on the borders between Judea
and Philistine
• Overlooking on the Elah Valley, on the main road
from Jerusalem and Hebron to the Costal plain
• Not a tell site
• Preservation is very good, not suffered from
postdepositional procesess
The location
source of image: http://confessionsofamakeshiftarcheologist.blogspot.com/2011/06/to-holy-landi-go.html
Source of image: http://blog.bibleplaces.com/2008/10/identity-of-khirbet-qeiyafa.html
Source of image: qeiyafa.huji.ac.il
Source of image : http://library.thinkquest.org/08aug/01930/history/ironage.html
Steps preceeding the research
itself
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Formulation of Research
Implementation of Research
Data Acquisition
(Archaeological Reconnaissance, Surface Survey,
Excavation)
Data Processing
Data Analysis (Artifacts, chronology,fauna and flora
remains, geological analysis)
Data Interpretation
Publication of Results
Data Analysis
A) Artifacts: classification, technology,
function.
B) Chronology: age determination through
absolute and relative dating techniques.
C) Faunal Remains: identification of animal
species.
D) Floral Remains: identification of plant
species.
F) Geological Analysis: sediment analysis.
Forms of Archaeological Data
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Artifacts
Features
Ecofacts
Sites
Regions
Dating
• Relative dating determines the age of
artifacts or site, as older or younger or the
same age as others, but does not produce
precise dates.
• Absolute dating, methods that produce
specific chronological dates for objects and
occupations,
was
not
available
to
archaeology until well into the 20th century.
Source of image : http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evosite/lines/IIIAchronology.shtml
Relative d. – Stratigraphy
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Source of image:
http://www.geology-israel.co.il/
Stratigraphy
• oldest of the relative dating methods
• based on the law of superposition-like a
layer cake, the lowest layers must have been
formed first.
• refers to geological and archaeological
layers that make up an archaeological
deposit
• One part / layer is called stratum (pl. strata)
Stratigraphy in Khirbet Qeiyafa
• 6 stratas
• Stratum I - Ottoman farm
• Stratum II – Agricutural use from Late hellenistic to Early
Islamic Era
• Stratum III – Early hellenistic settlement, late 4th BC
• Stratum IV – Early Iron IIA city, c. 1015-975 BC, two
gates, probably the Judean city
• Stratum V – Midlle Bronze II phase
Relative d. - Seration
• manipulated graphically
• Result is a series of „battleship curves“
• horizontal bars representing percentages
plotted on a vertical axis
Source of image: http://www2.monticello.org/archaeology/mulberryrow/building-l-seriation.htm
Relative d. - Probing
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1. Ground Penetrating Radar
2. Simple Random Sampling
3. Stratified sampling
Sources of images: http://www.geosphereinc.com/gpr_gpradar.html
http://www.geo-sense.com/GPR.htm
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Absolute d. - Radio-carbon
dating
The Method of Carbon dating
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A radiometric dating method that uses the naturally occurring radioisotope
carbon-14 (14C) to estimate the age of carbon-bearing materials up to about
58,000 to 62,000 years.
When plants fix atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) into organic material
during photosynthesis they incorporate a quantity of 14C that approximately
matches the level of this isotope in the atmosphere. After plants die or they are
consumed by other organisms the 14C fraction of this organic material declines
at a fixed exponential rate due to the radioactive decay of 14C. Comparing the
remaining 14C fraction of a sample to that expected from atmospheric 14C
allows the age of the sample to be estimated.
Source of image: http://www.fmi.uni-sofia.bg/fmi/contmech/kmarkov/history/Carbon.html
Carbon dating in Khirbet Qeiafa
• 8 examples of olive pits send to analysis on
Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator
• First set from the casemate wall /intrusive
elements/
• Two samples were dated to 1628 – 1519 BC
• Four of 1051 –969 BC
• One sample dated on 361-271 BC
Absolute d. -Thermoluminescence dating
Based on the fact that electrons
in all minerals emit light
(luminescence)
after being heated
Source of image: http://www.gi.ee/rlqg/
Absolute d. -Archeomagnetic
dating
• dating techniques rely on the fact that the earth'smagnetic field varies
over time.
• databanks were created by
geologists interested in the
movement of the planetary poles
Source of image: http://www.whitehallvilla.co.uk/htmlfiles/dig2005.html
Absolute d. Dendrochronology
• Chronology
of tree rings
Source of image:
http://creationwiki.org/Dendrochronology
Absolute d. -Racemization
dating
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Source of image: http://www.icr.org/article/amino-acid-racemization-dating-method/
Racemization dating
• uses the measurement of the decay rate of carbon protein
amino acids to date once-living organic tissue
• While an organism lives, their proteins are composed of
only 'left-handed' (laevo, or L) amino acids, but once the
organism dies the left-handed amino acids slowly turn into
right-handed (dextro or D) amino acids
• uses the pace of this chemical reaction to estimate the
length of time that has elapsed since an organism's death
Absolute d. -Oxidized Carbon
ratios
• a dynamical systems formula to establish
the effects of the environmental context
(systems theory)
Three dimensional space
Horizontal Provenience:
Datum: The site datum is a known location in threedimensional space that serves as a reference point for all
horizontal and vertical measurements taken at the site.
Grid: The site grid is laid out in reference to the datum.
Total Station: A total station is a survey instrument that
can measure horizontal and vertical angles, slope, and
horizontal and vertical distances.
• Vertical Provenience
o Vertical measurements will also use the site datum as a
reference point.
o During excavation, a laser level will be used to take
vertical depth measurements in the excavation unit.
Total station
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Author´s image from Khirbet
Qeiyafa
Triangulation of grid
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Source of image: http://www.uiowa.edu/~osa/gcp/Coralville/index.html
Source of image:
http://samilitaryhistory.org/vol035jk.html
Sieving
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excavated earth through screens
Source of image: http://qeiyafa.huji.ac.il/gallery2010d.asp
Archeological research in KhQ
Sources of folowing images: http://qeiyafa.huji.ac.il/gallery2010d.asp
Organization of research
• Fieldwork alloted by teams, one archeologist (student) and 3-4
volunteers
• Each team get excavated square 5x5m and excavated from topsoil to
virgin soil
• The finds are collected into baskets
• One basket cannot be used on two different loci
• When excavating floor levels, all sediment is sieved though a 2mm.
mesh
• Every afternoon are finds washed
• When are dry, they are sorted and divided into main categories:
pottery, stone, metal and animal bones
• Than are all artifacts send to laboratory
Thanks for your attention