Excavation is the base tool for archaeologists who are trying to understand the past of any civilization. When people are asked what they know about archaeology, excavation is often the first thing that comes to mind, and there is an important reason behind it: excavation is the first step towards archaeological discovery! The point of this paper is to describe the process of excavation and how it leads to the discovery of human remains and their examination using Isotope Analysis. Isotopes are different types of atoms of the same chemical element, each having a different atomic mass. Isotopes of an element have nuclei with the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons. Isotopic analysis looks at the composition of the sample …show more content…
After archaeologists research an area and believe that they found a site that shows potential, the first step is to start to excavate in order to reach the objects or remains that the earth might contain. Excavation explores what lies under the surface and archaeologists usually divide their sites in gridded tranches. The objective is to make sure that everything they dig can be recorded, sampled, and further analyzed. This process is very tedious and lengthy. It involves digging down a centimeter at a time through sometimes difficult toil or for longer periods through meters of densely packed soil. The point of excavating is to look into time from a backward perspective and to examine a site at various time periods. Deeper an archaeologist will go, more periods he might discover. A few centimeters may uncover recent events, whereas a meter or several can go back centuries or even …show more content…
He was the last king of the House of York and also the last King of England to die in battle. In 2012, scientists extracted genetic material from the remains discovered on the former site of Greyfriars Abbey, where Richard was interred after his death in the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. The interesting part of this case study is that at first the archaeologists, as almost always had to excavated extensively to get to the remains and be able to proceed to a thorough analysis. Starting with the excavation, the finding of the location of its burial was quite a challenge. The corpse of Richard the third was buried in the middle Leicester, adding to the complexity. The archaeologists charged with the excavation believed that the King could have been buried in three distinct locations all over the
The second question frequently asked regarding Schliemann’s legacy examines his motives and skill as an excavator: was Heinrich Schliemann a good archaeologist? This question has two sides. First, did Schliemann use the best techniques and technology available to him at time of his first excavation? Second, did he have the same values that other archaeologists have?
To identify the specific type, functions and time period of the artifacts, various archaeology books, reports, and journal were referred. The interpretation was then conducted by dividing the artifacts into different area on the map and investigating their relationships.
...ncyclopedia of Archaeology, Ed. Deborah M. Pearsall. Vol. 3. Oxford, United Kingdom: Academic Press, 2008. p1896-1905. New Britain: Elsevier, Inc.
moment came when Richard made a direct charge at Henry causing Sir William Stanley's army to rush to his rescue. With the crucial aid of the Stanleys the battle was won, Richard was slaughtered and the remaining Yorkists fled. Sir William Stanley crowned Henry on the conclusion of the battle and Richard's naked body was paraded back to London. It was Henry Tudor's "political wisdom", "notable" experience and his "dealing in time of perils and dangers" with, "great hardiness" (John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester) that greatly contributed to his success in obtaining the English throne. The support, guidance and military expertise form Jasper Tudor along with the financial help from the French king and the support not only from loyal Lancastrians but from the rebel Yorkists, also aided Henry in usurping the throne in 1485.
Richard being generous gave his younger brother rewards of several lands in England and he also made John the Count of Mortain in France. Whilst he was planning to go through a series of wars, Richard did not want his brother to enter England and he forced John to promise that he wouldn’t and John kept his word until he found out that Richard was intending to give the role of successor to the throne to their nephew. John felt that he should be king and he entered England, breaking his promise and tried to persuade the English people in order to gain the throne but the English woul...
Sir Thomas More, “The History of King Richard III” in Richard III A Source Book, Keith
The BBC, n.d. Web. The Web. The Web. 21 Apr. 2014 Clark, G. T. "The Archaeological Journal." The Archaeological Journal.
The Minoan archaeology is one which was surrounded by numerous controversies and this can be considered to be incomplete without the overall understanding of Sir Arthur Evans. The Minoan archaeology on its own has been present for several years however a true understanding of the culture and the culture was brought to life due to the efforts by Sir Arthur Evans. Heinrich Schliemann on the other hand was focused on the Mycenaean culture. Both these scholars were known to make a number of alterations to the artifacts, however for very different reasons and rationale. The main aim of this paper is to discuss their position in each culture and to discuss the possible rationale that these individuals had for making the alterations.
Discussions in the 1970’s and 1980’s within both sides of the debate indicate population change, behavior change and natural processes to be the large determining factors (Attenbrow, 2004). Many archaeologists accepted there was a continuing increase over time in the number of archaeological sites established and used, as well as in the number of artefacts accumulated in individual sites, particularly in the past 5000 years (eg. Johnson 1979:39; Bowdler1981; Morwood 1984:371, 1986, 1987; Ross 1984, 1985:87; Beaton 1985: 16-18; Fletcher-Jones 1985: 282, 286; Lourandos 1985a: 393-411, 1985b: 38; White and Habgood 1985; Hiscock 1986) (Attenbrow, 2004). Population change refers to the changes in number of people or size of the population, behavioural changes referring to changes to activities such as tool manufacturing, subsistence practices as well as the use of space within a site (Attenbrow, 2004). Whilst natural processes include geomorphological and biological process that may have affected the archaeological record (At...
Archaeology is a continuously evolving field where there is a constant stream of new branches and excavation methods. Due to the influx of new technologies and innovations in recent decades, archaeologists have been able to excavate previously inaccessible areas. For example, new diving equipment and tools such as proton magnetometers, side-scan sonar, sub-bottom profiler, and miniature submarines have allowed archaeologists to dive into the deep depths of the ocean. As a result, the branch of underwater archaeology was created to search for shipwrecks and other artifacts on the ocean floor. Underwater archaeology’s role has increased in recent years as it allows archaeologists to more accurately interpret the past by supplementing information gained through traditional land excavations.
While all atoms of the same element have the same number of protons, it is possible for atoms of one element to have different numbers of neutrons. Atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons are called isotopes . For example, all atoms of the element carbon have 6 protons, but while most carbon atoms have 6 neutrons, some have 7 or 8. Isotopes are named by giving the name of the element followed by the sum of the neutrons and protons in the isotope's nucl...
Isotopes: Atoms of the same element (same atomic number) but with differing numbers of neutrons, different mass numbers.
The article by the various authors listed above concentrated on the various techniques that are used to locate and then to excavate these sites. They list and discuss the various techniques that they use. These vary from side-scanning to locate the sites to high resolution video to see how the site appears and the various locations of the artifacts.
I shall gather various types of archaeological publications dealing with deviant burial. It is important to include differing types of publications to see if it affects the way in which deviancy is dealt with. I will then determine if any common patterns are apparent within the study of deviant burial. If common patterns are found, each one will be explored individually. Searching for specific statements within the texts, I will attempt to determine how the patterns relate to the interpretation of deviant burial. As I have not previously dealt with deviant burials, I will also briefly convey my interpretations – as a simulated intended audience reader – of the way in which deviancy is conveyed through the material. This will give a distinctive perspective as to how the true intended audience of the publications may view the evidence as presented by the archaeologists. A discourse analysis is never complete as there are too many aspects to ever fully dissect a subject (Dijk 2001; Phillips and Hardy 2002). However, it is my intent to try to examine deviant burial as thoroughly as this thesis permits, as well as to bring a unique point of view to the
Archaeologists are scattered across the gamut. Considering knowledge of human past is valuable to numerous academic disciplines. Varieties of archaeological application include: cultural resource management, heritage conservation, historic preservation,