Sediments in Archaeological Context (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780874806915)

Almost every artifact in archaeological analysis originates in or on the ground. While there are elaborate methods for extracting and analyzing artifacts, treatment of the matrix within which they are located is often unsophisticated and does not include systematic analysis.

Sediments in Archaeological Context concerns the analysis of this matrix and the potential use of sediments to answer archaeological questions. Describing sediments and sampling them in appropriate ways do not replace the study of artifacts, but they can provide additional, useful information regarding a site complex, its physical environment, and the relations of artifacts to each other.

Each chapter in the volume considers sediments within a specific context. Topics include sediments found in a variety of environments: cultural environments, rockshelter and cave environments, dryland alluvial environments, humid alluvial environments, lake environments, shoreline environments, and spring and wetland environments.

Sediments in Archaeological Context is intended for every archaeologist who investigates sites in depositional contexts.

Author: Julie K. Stein
ISBN-10: 0874806917
ISBN-13: 9780874806915
Publisher: University of Utah Press
Language: English
Published: 11/27/2001
Pages: 232
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.84lbs
Size: 8.96h x 6.04w x 0.62d