Exercise 2: Stratigraphy And Site Formation Processes

Looking at an artifact’s physical attributes is always the first step to uncovering the archaeological significance

Humans would have supplemented the stones for other materials such as timber, metals or the Earth itself. The structure would be in the same formation except for the resources used to build. The properties may have differed but otherwise would have been the same or possibly even better. On he others hand, aliens would have the intelligence necessary for creating this site. It is u likely that any human would have been able to create the structure and therefore is additional evidence to support the existence of

Ever since ancient times, humans have used their uniquely creative minds to organize and construct awe-inspiring architecture. Our planet, once an empty canvas for human innovation, is now coated with manmade constructions. But before towering skyscrapers, grand hotels, and modern chapels came into existence, the world was bejeweled with ancient forms of engineering. Two of the more popular constructions from the ancient world include Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids at Giza. These incredible megaliths are seemingly very different, but share various similarities, and both help archaeologists gain insight to the religious beliefs and socio-political organization of the people who constructed them.

An unscrupulous archaeologist by the name of Henirich Hochstetter excavated the Shoen-Tell site in Turkey in the late 1920s. Hochstetter was interested more in antiquities than in data, so he provided little substantive information tot eh professional community about his dig or his findings. However, a conscientious assistant of Hochstetter’s, Roxanne Browne, managed to collect detailed information on fifty of the burials Hochstetter plundered. Her data is

8000- 500 BC was known as the “Archaic period.” During this period, mound building was a very common custom. Many of the mounds were built to elevate the village’s central ritual sites. The “Woodland period” (500 BC- AD 800)

The largest mound discovered in North America is Monks Mound in Cahokia, located outside of present day St. Louis and covers more than eighteen acres and is over one hundred feet tall (3). Made with locally quarried soils and built in stages over the course of a century or more, these mounds served as platforms for building, stages for religious and social activities and some were even used as cemeteries (1). It is believed that natives often occupied pre-existing settlements where the previous chiefdom had died out and the site had been abandoned; the reoccupying of these sites lead to the buildup of the earth mounds. Mounds were formed in the shape similar to a pyramid with the top cut off leaving a platform on the summit. Mounds were used to define the public space of the settlements plaza. The chief’s house was always on the largest mound in the settlement. If the mound was large enough a temple could be added or even a mortuary house so natives could prepare their dead. If the chief’s mound was not big enough then the temple mound would be adjacent to the chief’s mound in the plaza so that they would face each other (2).

Around the world our water supply is depleting. Our water is becoming contaminated making it harmful for both mammals and aquatic life. Today over one billion people go without adequate water supply and every fifteen seconds a child dies of waterborne illness. Sources of water that once supplied water to millions can no longer meet the supply and demand of the water need. Scientist predict that the amount of useful water will keep depleting greatly in the years to come. In the next couple of pages it will talk about both the geological and human reasons as to why are water supply is depleting.

Monk’s Mound is the largest earthwork in the United States, but the reason for why this one Mississippian mound stands out from all others has been a point of confusion for archaeologists. In the 1960s, researches started to investigate the mound to understand the mound’s relation to the Mississippian mound building culture. During this initial research, there were nine cores samples taken that showed that Monk’s Mound was constructed in 14 stages in the span of 250 years (De Pastino 2015). It was initially thought that the mound was built like many other Mississippian mounds, through loading baskets from a nearby source with dirt, then stacking them up, and flattening the top of the mound. However, this idea was contested in 2005 when a part of the mound collapsed (De Pastino 2015). Archaeologists, Schilling and Lopino, took twenty-two samples from the mound interior that became exposed due to the collapse; these researches studied the soil to understand the construction of the mound. What they found was that the soil that comprised the mound was relatively fresh and contained undisturbed plant material, there was little carbonized material, this is a sign that the soil did not sit at the surface long and was buried quickly (De Pastino

This shows that civilization started in Africa. As much as Europeans try and take everything from us Africans and rewrite our history as far as the Christopher Columbus era, it does not matter because artifacts shows that everything was started in Africa. We use ways of knowing to prove that between the bones found in Africa there was civilization in ancient Africa. “Experiential Kin is when you grow up with someone, even though your not blood family that’s your cousin. You don’t have aunts or uncles like in America. You have the nucleus family then the extended family.” This is the reason villages were so important in the uprising of Africa.

The Mayan cities origin coincides with the collapse of the Olmec, yet the Mayans were able to control more territory. Archeologists have made great strides in the study of the Mayan cultures through the use of hieroglyphic inscriptions found on tombs, walls, and pottery. One of the key distinguishing factors of the Mayan society was the temples found in each of its cities. These temples were thought to be sacred, and the entrance was only permitted to those who held substantial power.

needed to collect an artifact or body part, such as bones, replicas could be created. It would not be the real thing, but they could be used to express the same message or show the purpose of the original object.

The water supply on earth plays a huge role in daily lives. You need to have clean water to drink, do laundry and water your garden. Since water is necessary, the future water supply is very important for future generations. They will need clean water to use daily. Society can not let the water become so polluted and unsanitary that future generations can not use it for their daily needs. Water supply is affected by humans and the area surrounding the water.

9). Serpent Mound is well documented and has peaked archaeologist and other researchers interest for a long time, the first excavation dates back to Putnam in the 1890s (Herrmann and others 2014, p. 117). However, the age of construction for Serpent Mound has been a point of contestation for researchers. Researchers propose two time periods for construction, either Adena (~2,300 years ago) or Fort Ancient (~900 years ago) (Herrmann 2014, p. 119). Recently published work, as of 2017, done by Romain and others have provided strong evidence for Adena construction, radio carbon dates from GeoProbe core samples, LiDAR analyses, and electrical resistivity ground imaging surveys support their hypothesis (2017). Despite of initial construction of Serpent Mound, Hermann and Others do not deny that later Fort Ancient and other cultural groups occupied the site, making the site multi-occupational (2014,

This site began its occupation during the Developed Periphrastic Period due to the pottery found in strata 25, 24, 23, and 22. The site was continually used until the Early Pleonastic which is found in strata 18, 17, and 16. The site was abandoned sometime between 1500 BC-800 BC because in stratum 16 there is Early Pleonastic pottery then in stratum 14 there is Late Chiastic pottery. Stratum 14 has Late Chiastic pottery, indicating the site has a population again. However, the stratum is clearly a hole that cuts through strata 15, 16, 17, and 18. In the stratum, burnt animal bones, seeds, broken pottery, and broken groundstones are found, possibly indicating nomadic people travelling through. The C-14 dates on the seeds are 720 ± 30 BC and

Artifacts explain a lot about a civilization. It gives information about when a civilization exist. The Lapita culture is seen to have developed in various islands as seen through the goods of pottery. Criticism of the Lapita culture is that their change in settlements throughout the time periods was not as striking as it appeared.