Intro to Archaeology

 Study of human past

 Arkhaios “ancient”

Monumental and megalithic structures: (from the monumental to micsroscopic –

using technology by genetic analysis)

 Teotihuacan (civilization)
 Acropolis
 Pyramids of Giza
 Tutankhamun’s Tomb
 Angkor Wat
 Tabon Caves
 Macchu picchu (tirahan)
 Stonehenge
 Gobekli Tepe (may organized religion)

2 KINDS OF ARCHAEOLOGY

1. American > considered part of anthropology (abt humans mostly)

2. European > Linked to history, natural sciences, and geology (centers on history)

Antiquarian Legacy > fond of antiques

 Because of colonialism and collection of antiques (treasures / antiques of colonies)

 European renaissance and interest in classical antiquity

Geology > backbone of archaeology (beginnings of modern archaeology)

James Hutton

 Theory of the Earth

- Principle of Uniformitarianism = Stratification of rocks due to ongoing processes
in the seas, rivers, lakes (para malamang ung right archeological treatment sa
inaanalyze)
Charles Lyell

 Principles of Geology
 Principles of deep time – the deeper the rock, the older

C.J. Thomsen

> Three-Age System – Americans needed to establish a system to date the antiques they
have garnered.

- A guide to Northern Antiquities

> He proved na may system to analyze fossils, artifacts, and ecofacts (para malocate ung
history; classifying them per timeframe since walang point pag aanalyze if not)

> Ston, Bronze, Iron Ages

Archeological Site – where artifacts are found

Assemblage > associated set of contemporary artefact types

Artefacts > objects modified by people

 From chips/ shards organized and assembled into an object

 Filipinos like to collect antiques – because of the myth of Yamashita’s treasure
(Japanese who hid gold in the country; not true daw acc to archeologists; just to drive
people crazy abt mining and treasure hunting)

Ecofacts > organic / environmental remains used or modified by people

 Ammonite shells, rocks,

Positive Features > may deposited land pa

Negative Features > may hollow space

ON THE SITE:

Matrix > physical substances that surrounds the find (pwedeng may metamorphic rocks; near
volcanic sites)

Provenience / Provenance > horizontal and vertical position within the matrix

Association > occurrence together with other remains in the same matrix (may ecofacts or
fossils na kasabay?)
 Lahat ng ginagamit ng tao ay nag-iiwan ng marka.

 Shell artifacts, bone antler and ivory (Expensive), stone and stone tools (hand axe),
earthenware, ceramics, plant remains (on the ppt, pollen cause madali mapreserve- can
be analyze using DNA Analysis to know their date), animal remains, shell middens,
human remains, Metals (part of an axe), glass (common thing in archeological site,
mostly by the sea; glass beads – common in the country because used for barter and
status symbol), wood (may be from a boat; evidence from a manunggul jar)

Stratigraphy > study of stratification by analyzing horizontally and vertically

Stratification > pagkakapatong of stones / rock formations

LAWS OF STRATIGRAPHY

1. Law of superposition – deeper the older

2. Law of original horizontality – deposited horizontally dapat (if not then processes have
altered them)
3. Law of original continuity-equivalent deposit cause by the same depositional event

RELATIVE DATING

 Comparing one stone to another to know a stone’s age

 Grouping of objects into types which share the same characteristics (material, shape,
décor)
 Objects from a given time and place share a recognizable style
 Establishing a time frame in relation to other strate or materials

ABSOLUTE DATING

 Establishing dates in numbers or ranges of numbers

 Radiometric techniques – based on radioactive decay of certainelemets
- Carbon dating – > anything that has carbon / organic material can be dated (can
determine up to 40,000 yrs old)

( if wala carbon, pwede ung potassium-argon, uranium series, dendrochronology (rings of

trees?)

Radiocarbon dating revolution

 Materials remains of tabon cave – Robert Fox (discovered Tabon Man) (Carbon dating is
used)
 Willard Libby (Radiocarbon dating- siya nagdate ng Tabon Man)
 Carbon 14 -> Nitrogen 14 if nagdecay
Radiometric techniques: Absolute dating

1. Luminiscence dating – naluto kya napreserve (potsherds, burn flint, volcanic

material) exposed to intense sunlight and buried agad
2. Electron spin resonance – tooth enamel (used for this)
3. Fission track – counting microscopic tracks (obsidian – type of mineral)
4. Dendrochronology / tree-ring dating – “crossdating” (comparing ring patterns of
trees and assigning rings to specific calendar years (11,000 yrs old)

Geological periods> read from right to left

 Age of humans; homo sapiens and hominins (millions of years old pa lang) relatively
young than other species
 A.D / B.C. – in the year of the Lord (2000 yrs ago)
- Ex. 10,000 B.C (to know present age: add 2,000)
 BCE and CE (+2000 dun sa may CE) (para hindi christ centric)
 B.P – before present, before BCE 1950
-Ex. 10,000 B.C. + 2,000= 12,000 yrs old (before present) (B.P)
 Cal BP (age when a radiometric technique is used)
-calibrated age before present (kumabaga ung inaaadd na 2000 is approximation only; it
provides margin of error)

 Ka – Kiloannum
- Thousands of years
- Ex. 26 Ka (26,000 years)
 Ma – Megaannum
- Millions of years