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VIDEO SERIES IN HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY
SERIES TITLE: “HISTORY, HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY AND SCIENCE” Full This video series talks about how historical archaeology is done and how it relates to, uses, and is both the same and different from history and science, especially earth sciences and chemistry. Each video segment can be watched on its own, or all of the segments can be used as part of a series. For teachers who have any questions about the series, or would like to learn more, please contact the Aucilla Research Institute – we’re happy to help! Total video length is 24 minutes YouTube link Click Here |
Support materials for Historical Archaeology Video Series
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VIDEO SERIES IN HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY
SERIES TITLE:
“HISTORY, HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY AND SCIENCE” Divided in video segments as a Series
SERIES TITLE:
“HISTORY, HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY AND SCIENCE” Divided in video segments as a Series
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VIDEO 1
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VIDEO 2
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VIDEO 3
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VIDEO 4
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VIDEO 5
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Video 1: “So What’s Historical Archaeology All About?” Video 4:00 minutes
SCRIPT:
Narrator: A lot of people have heard of archaeology. When most people think of archaeology, they think of pyramids in Egypt – or Roman ruins – or people digging in faraway places. [Images] But did you know – archaeologists work in many places right near you?
[Images of archaeologists working in Florida; ARI, other Florida places]
Archaeology is the science of learning about the past through material remains – that is, the things that people left behind! They can be things as simple as stone flakes or potsherds – or really huge things like buildings, monuments and tombs. ALL of these things can tell us about the ways that people lived in the past! [Images from ARI collections and digs]
History is the discipline of learning about the past through documents and written records. [Images of historical documents from Jefferson County] Historians use things like maps, diaries, written accounts, paintings and drawings, and other things as ways to understand what people were doing in the past.
Historical archaeology is the archaeology of the time we have written records of the past. Historical archaeologists use both
So – if we have written documents that tell us what was happening in the past – why would we want to do archaeology? [Image of someone thinking or question mark] What could archaeology tell us that the written documents don’t?
A lot!! It’s important to remember that a lot that was happening in the past didn’t get written down, even when people made written records. Sometimes the people who made the records didn’t write about other groups of people, such as Native Americans. [Images of Florida’s Native cultures]. Sometimes people took for granted the ways they did things, such as building houses or making things, and didn’t write down how they did it. [Images of houses from the past]. And sometimes – people either forgot things, or didn’t write things down accurately, for reasons of their own.
Doing archaeology at historical sites can help people living today “set the record straight”. Through studying the physical things people left behind – the remains of their buildings, the remains of the things they used to live, and even, sometimes, the remains of the people themselves – we can add a lot to what we know about the ways people lived in the past! [Images of past Florida cultures – Native American, Spanish, American settlers]
Join members of the Aucilla Research Institute as we take you on a series of journeys into historical archaeology at several important sites in northwest Florida. On these journeys, you’ll learn how historical archaeology uses history, science, math, and specialized tools to look into the past and bring the people there to life! [Closing montage: Florida historical cultures, ARI archaeologists and volunteers at multiple sites]
SCRIPT:
Narrator: A lot of people have heard of archaeology. When most people think of archaeology, they think of pyramids in Egypt – or Roman ruins – or people digging in faraway places. [Images] But did you know – archaeologists work in many places right near you?
[Images of archaeologists working in Florida; ARI, other Florida places]
Archaeology is the science of learning about the past through material remains – that is, the things that people left behind! They can be things as simple as stone flakes or potsherds – or really huge things like buildings, monuments and tombs. ALL of these things can tell us about the ways that people lived in the past! [Images from ARI collections and digs]
History is the discipline of learning about the past through documents and written records. [Images of historical documents from Jefferson County] Historians use things like maps, diaries, written accounts, paintings and drawings, and other things as ways to understand what people were doing in the past.
Historical archaeology is the archaeology of the time we have written records of the past. Historical archaeologists use both
So – if we have written documents that tell us what was happening in the past – why would we want to do archaeology? [Image of someone thinking or question mark] What could archaeology tell us that the written documents don’t?
A lot!! It’s important to remember that a lot that was happening in the past didn’t get written down, even when people made written records. Sometimes the people who made the records didn’t write about other groups of people, such as Native Americans. [Images of Florida’s Native cultures]. Sometimes people took for granted the ways they did things, such as building houses or making things, and didn’t write down how they did it. [Images of houses from the past]. And sometimes – people either forgot things, or didn’t write things down accurately, for reasons of their own.
Doing archaeology at historical sites can help people living today “set the record straight”. Through studying the physical things people left behind – the remains of their buildings, the remains of the things they used to live, and even, sometimes, the remains of the people themselves – we can add a lot to what we know about the ways people lived in the past! [Images of past Florida cultures – Native American, Spanish, American settlers]
Join members of the Aucilla Research Institute as we take you on a series of journeys into historical archaeology at several important sites in northwest Florida. On these journeys, you’ll learn how historical archaeology uses history, science, math, and specialized tools to look into the past and bring the people there to life! [Closing montage: Florida historical cultures, ARI archaeologists and volunteers at multiple sites]
Video 2: “In The Beginning: How Historical Archaeological Digs Start” Video 3:46 minutes
SCRIPT:
NARRATOR: Have you ever wondered – how do archaeologists decide where to dig – or even if to dig? [Images of ARI digs in different locations]
What exactly is it that makes archaeologists choose specific spots for digging – after they’ve decided whether or not digging is necessary?
In this video, we’re going to talk about the ethical and legal rules archaeologists follow; how archaeologists learn where sites are located; and decide whether or not to dig at all!
[Images of RPA Rules]
Believe it or not, archaeologists don’t always dig at sites. In fact, the rules of the Register of Professional Archaeologists say that archaeologists should actually only dig in two cases: 1) where digging is needed to protect a site that’s being destroyed; or 2) where digging is the only way to answer research questions about a site. And if an archaeologist needs to dig, they’re required to leave as much of the site intact as possible!
WHY IS THAT?
[Image of C.B. Moore, and his boat, the Gopher]
Back when archaeology was a new science, in the later 1800s, archaeologists like C.B. Moore – one of the first American archaeologists – dug at sites mainly to find intact artifacts. They didn’t know that things like charcoal, or soot, would one day let archaeologists find dates; and they didn’t realize that a lot of artifacts needed to be caught during screening [Image of ARI/other archaeologists screening soil] to get a full picture of the site.
[Images of artifacts in lab/microscope/electrolysis/pXRF]
Today, on the other hand, we realize that archaeologists in the future are likely to have technologies that let us understand more about sites, like radiocarbon dating, and other tests that tell us how artifacts were made and used. That means that sites need to have areas left intact so future researchers can learn more!
SO: how do historical archaeologists decide whether – and where – to dig?
[Image of ARI library/historical maps] FIRST: historical archaeologists, like historians, normally begin their research in the library! We use historical documents to try to figure out where people lived in the past, including areas that might have archaeological sites. We also try to figure out what types of artifacts might be present at different types of sites. [Image of Native American pot, Spanish olive jar, American iron artifacts from Trelawn]
THEN, archaeologists reach out to people who live in an area and ask them – have you seen places where there are artifacts on the ground? Do you know of areas that might be archaeological sites? [ARI archaeologists talking to community members] People who live in different areas know their communities best – and they can tell archaeologists not only where sites may be, but what kinds of questions about their past that they’d like to see answered.
FINALLY, when archaeologists have an idea about where sites may be – they create a research design. [Image of archaeologist working on computer] A research design is a set of research questions that the historical archaeologist would like to answer; hypotheses – informed guesses about how people in the past may have lived – that they want to test; and, based on the questions and hypotheses the things they think would be present at an archaeological site if their hypotheses are true.
At this point, a historical archaeologist has done all they can before going to the field – now it’s time to test their ideas in the “real world”!
SCRIPT:
NARRATOR: Have you ever wondered – how do archaeologists decide where to dig – or even if to dig? [Images of ARI digs in different locations]
What exactly is it that makes archaeologists choose specific spots for digging – after they’ve decided whether or not digging is necessary?
In this video, we’re going to talk about the ethical and legal rules archaeologists follow; how archaeologists learn where sites are located; and decide whether or not to dig at all!
[Images of RPA Rules]
Believe it or not, archaeologists don’t always dig at sites. In fact, the rules of the Register of Professional Archaeologists say that archaeologists should actually only dig in two cases: 1) where digging is needed to protect a site that’s being destroyed; or 2) where digging is the only way to answer research questions about a site. And if an archaeologist needs to dig, they’re required to leave as much of the site intact as possible!
WHY IS THAT?
[Image of C.B. Moore, and his boat, the Gopher]
Back when archaeology was a new science, in the later 1800s, archaeologists like C.B. Moore – one of the first American archaeologists – dug at sites mainly to find intact artifacts. They didn’t know that things like charcoal, or soot, would one day let archaeologists find dates; and they didn’t realize that a lot of artifacts needed to be caught during screening [Image of ARI/other archaeologists screening soil] to get a full picture of the site.
[Images of artifacts in lab/microscope/electrolysis/pXRF]
Today, on the other hand, we realize that archaeologists in the future are likely to have technologies that let us understand more about sites, like radiocarbon dating, and other tests that tell us how artifacts were made and used. That means that sites need to have areas left intact so future researchers can learn more!
SO: how do historical archaeologists decide whether – and where – to dig?
[Image of ARI library/historical maps] FIRST: historical archaeologists, like historians, normally begin their research in the library! We use historical documents to try to figure out where people lived in the past, including areas that might have archaeological sites. We also try to figure out what types of artifacts might be present at different types of sites. [Image of Native American pot, Spanish olive jar, American iron artifacts from Trelawn]
THEN, archaeologists reach out to people who live in an area and ask them – have you seen places where there are artifacts on the ground? Do you know of areas that might be archaeological sites? [ARI archaeologists talking to community members] People who live in different areas know their communities best – and they can tell archaeologists not only where sites may be, but what kinds of questions about their past that they’d like to see answered.
FINALLY, when archaeologists have an idea about where sites may be – they create a research design. [Image of archaeologist working on computer] A research design is a set of research questions that the historical archaeologist would like to answer; hypotheses – informed guesses about how people in the past may have lived – that they want to test; and, based on the questions and hypotheses the things they think would be present at an archaeological site if their hypotheses are true.
At this point, a historical archaeologist has done all they can before going to the field – now it’s time to test their ideas in the “real world”!
Video 3: To Dig, or Not to Dig? Starting Fieldwork! Video 4:26 minutes
[Images of ARI library, interviewing members of the community, and artifacts]
SCRIPT
NARRATOR: Remember that, through research in the historical documents, asking people who live in an area, and through making a research design, historical archaeologists choose the areas that they want to do their field research.
[Image of ARI archaeologists, students digging]
So – do they now begin to dig?
[Image of a “ban” sign – red circle with a slash across it – over the digging images]
NO! Remember – archaeologists only dig when they need to dig to protect a site, or when they need to dig to answer a research question. If a historical archaeologist can answer their research questions without having to dig, that’s the best way answer them!
[Images of surface survey – ARI archaeologists walking the ground surfaces of a site]
One way a historical archaeologist can answer questions about a site – WITHOUT digging – is called surface survey. In surface survey, the archaeologist walks across the surface of a site in regular lines, called transects, to see if there are areas at the site that have artifacts or features on the ground surface. If there are, the archaeologist will record the areas where they’re found, and make a map of the site that shows where the locations are, and how they relate to each other.
[Image of someone looking confused] Archaeologists use the word “artifacts” a lot. But what are they? And what are “features”?
[Images of Native American, Spanish, American historical artifacts]
An artifact is anything made by people that can be moved out of its context – the place where the artifact was found. Things like pottery sherds, stone tools, glass fragments, metal fragments or tool parts, or bone fragments from meals people ate would all be considered artifacts.
[Images of postmold features, mound sites, and building foundations]
A feature, on the other hand, is anything made by people that can’t be moved out of its context without destroying it. Things like earthwork mounds, stains where posts were, and building foundations are all features.
Artifacts and features together show that an area represents an archaeological site. If these can be identified by doing surface survey only and answer a research question – digging at the site may not be necessary.
[LiDAR image of Wakulla Springs or other sites]
What if something on the ground surface is covered by trees and vegetation – and is hard or impossible to see? In the 21st century, historical archaeologists now can use LiDAR – a word which is short for “Light Detection and Ranging”. [Image/video graphic of a LiDAR overflight] LiDAR works by using a laser flying overhead to strike the earth’s surface and reflect upwards to a receiver. As the LiDAR works, it creates a map of the earth’s surface that strips away the vegetation cover and makes features visible. [Images of Mayan cities found with LiDAR]. Sometimes, entire sites can be found using LiDAR alone.
[Image of metal detector, archaeologists using metal detectors]
At a historical archaeological site, one tool that can be very helpful is the use of metal detectors. If a building was made of wood, even if it rotted away or burned down, the nails and metal that helped hold it together are left behind in the ground. Using a metal detector, archaeologists can find the locations of metal “hits” and plot them out on a site map – which can help find the locations of building features!
[Image of ground-penetrating radar machine]
Finally, another way to check below the ground’s surface – without digging – is through the use of ground-penetrating radar [Images of ARI in field with GPR; graphic images of anomalies] or GPR for short. With GPR, a radar beam is sent into the ground and reflected off of “anomalies” – places below the ground where the soil has been disturbed, or dug, or hardened, through human activity. These GPR images can give a historical archaeologist an idea about what kinds of things may be below the surface at a site.
[Images of surface survey, LiDAR, metal detecting, and GPR]
All together, these types of non-invasive technologies and techniques may be able to answer a number of research questions about the site a historical archaeologist is studying. If they can – then the best choice is not to dig the site. But – if they can’t – then the next stage at a site is the first one to go below the ground!
[Images of ARI library, interviewing members of the community, and artifacts]
SCRIPT
NARRATOR: Remember that, through research in the historical documents, asking people who live in an area, and through making a research design, historical archaeologists choose the areas that they want to do their field research.
[Image of ARI archaeologists, students digging]
So – do they now begin to dig?
[Image of a “ban” sign – red circle with a slash across it – over the digging images]
NO! Remember – archaeologists only dig when they need to dig to protect a site, or when they need to dig to answer a research question. If a historical archaeologist can answer their research questions without having to dig, that’s the best way answer them!
[Images of surface survey – ARI archaeologists walking the ground surfaces of a site]
One way a historical archaeologist can answer questions about a site – WITHOUT digging – is called surface survey. In surface survey, the archaeologist walks across the surface of a site in regular lines, called transects, to see if there are areas at the site that have artifacts or features on the ground surface. If there are, the archaeologist will record the areas where they’re found, and make a map of the site that shows where the locations are, and how they relate to each other.
[Image of someone looking confused] Archaeologists use the word “artifacts” a lot. But what are they? And what are “features”?
[Images of Native American, Spanish, American historical artifacts]
An artifact is anything made by people that can be moved out of its context – the place where the artifact was found. Things like pottery sherds, stone tools, glass fragments, metal fragments or tool parts, or bone fragments from meals people ate would all be considered artifacts.
[Images of postmold features, mound sites, and building foundations]
A feature, on the other hand, is anything made by people that can’t be moved out of its context without destroying it. Things like earthwork mounds, stains where posts were, and building foundations are all features.
Artifacts and features together show that an area represents an archaeological site. If these can be identified by doing surface survey only and answer a research question – digging at the site may not be necessary.
[LiDAR image of Wakulla Springs or other sites]
What if something on the ground surface is covered by trees and vegetation – and is hard or impossible to see? In the 21st century, historical archaeologists now can use LiDAR – a word which is short for “Light Detection and Ranging”. [Image/video graphic of a LiDAR overflight] LiDAR works by using a laser flying overhead to strike the earth’s surface and reflect upwards to a receiver. As the LiDAR works, it creates a map of the earth’s surface that strips away the vegetation cover and makes features visible. [Images of Mayan cities found with LiDAR]. Sometimes, entire sites can be found using LiDAR alone.
[Image of metal detector, archaeologists using metal detectors]
At a historical archaeological site, one tool that can be very helpful is the use of metal detectors. If a building was made of wood, even if it rotted away or burned down, the nails and metal that helped hold it together are left behind in the ground. Using a metal detector, archaeologists can find the locations of metal “hits” and plot them out on a site map – which can help find the locations of building features!
[Image of ground-penetrating radar machine]
Finally, another way to check below the ground’s surface – without digging – is through the use of ground-penetrating radar [Images of ARI in field with GPR; graphic images of anomalies] or GPR for short. With GPR, a radar beam is sent into the ground and reflected off of “anomalies” – places below the ground where the soil has been disturbed, or dug, or hardened, through human activity. These GPR images can give a historical archaeologist an idea about what kinds of things may be below the surface at a site.
[Images of surface survey, LiDAR, metal detecting, and GPR]
All together, these types of non-invasive technologies and techniques may be able to answer a number of research questions about the site a historical archaeologist is studying. If they can – then the best choice is not to dig the site. But – if they can’t – then the next stage at a site is the first one to go below the ground!
Video 4: Digging at a Site – Where and How? Video 5:07 minutes
[Image of ARI archaeologists in field with posthole diggers, shovels]
SCRIPT:
NARRATOR: All right – at this stage, the principal investigator – the historical archaeologist working on studying a past human culture at a specific site or sites – now has a decision to make. Research with historical documents and non-invasive techniques have taken us as far as they can go; in order to answer our research questions – we’re going to need to dig!
[Image of a person thinking hard, looking puzzled]
Now we have to answer two big questions – where and how do we dig?
In order to answer both questions, we need to know what parts of an archaeological site might be most likely to have the information we need to answer our research questions and to test the hypotheses we’ve made about the site. How do we decide?
FIRST: we use the information we’ve already gotten about the site from non-invasive studies. For example, if we have areas where metal detecting has found concentrations of metal; [image of metal detecting at a site] LiDAR images that show features in certain areas of the site [LiDAR images of ARI sites]; or ground-penetrating radar anomalies that suggest there’s something below the ground surface in some areas [images of GPR time-slices] – all of those suggest those may be places we want to dig.
SECOND: however, even before we dig there, it’s important to remember that a lot of different things may have been happening at an archaeological site when people lived there. Some of those things may not be detectable by our non-invasive studies. So how do we decide how different areas might be related to each other?
Before an archaeologist digs in specific areas, it’s normally the best idea to start with subsurface testing. Subsurface testing means setting up a place to measure from – usually called a site datum – and laying out a grid – a pattern of squares, usually between 10m and 20m apart, over the surface of a site. [Image of ARI archaeologists doing shovel testing] At each point on the grid, an archaeologist will normally place a shovel test – a square hole, 50cm wide and usually a meter (39 inches) deep. The soil that comes from each test will be screened through a wire mesh screen that can be shaken to get rid of the soil, leaving any artifacts behind in the screen. [Images of ARI archaeologists bagging artifacts] As the tests are dug, archaeologists bag the artifacts they recover, draw a profile of the different levels of soil and any features they find, and draw a map of the places they found artifacts and what kinds of artifacts they found [archaeologists drawing maps].
Once subsurface testing is done, and archaeologists have an idea about where different types of artifacts at a site are coming from, the principal investigator will decide if and where block excavations are to be done. Block excavations are what most people think of when they think of archaeology [Images of block excavations by ARI archaeologists at Trelawn, Wakulla]. They’re larger square or rectangular units, usually 2m x 2m (or roughly 6 feet by 6 feet) square, that are dug in levels – the layers of soil going downwards as they’re dug. As an archaeologist excavates each level, the soil is screened to recover artifacts. As each level is completed, [image of ARI archaeologists drawing maps] any features, such as postmolds, firepits, building foundations, or trash pits, are drawn onto a map that shows their locations and relationships with other features and artifacts.
The artifacts that are found from each level [images of artifacts from Trelawn Plantation dig] are bagged separately from the other levels. That’s because of the law of superposition. [Images of rock layers and soil layers being dug at archaeological and paleontological sites]. The law of superposition say that (unless some comes along and disturbs the soil later) the deeper you dig – the older the soil. That means, generally speaking, that artifacts from the upper layers of soil will be more recent than artifacts found in the deeper layers. [Image of a glass bottle neck and an Archaic stone point side by side]
During block excavations, as larger areas are opened up, archaeologists may be able to find the places where structures once stood [Image of Trelawn dig map]. For example, at the Trelawn Plantation site, the work that’s been done so far has helped archaeologists studying the site to find what appears to be a building that was used first as a kitchen, in the early 1800s, and then as a residence where people lived after the Civil War. [Images of the Trelawn digs] Keeping good records when a dig is going on lets archaeologists learn more about what was happening in each part of the site.
Finally – once the archaeologist has dug just enough to answer their research questions (and no more!), the units that have been dug are filled in and recorded so other archaeologists can come back to the site later. And then – some of the most important parts of a dig begin!
[Image of ARI archaeologists in field with posthole diggers, shovels]
SCRIPT:
NARRATOR: All right – at this stage, the principal investigator – the historical archaeologist working on studying a past human culture at a specific site or sites – now has a decision to make. Research with historical documents and non-invasive techniques have taken us as far as they can go; in order to answer our research questions – we’re going to need to dig!
[Image of a person thinking hard, looking puzzled]
Now we have to answer two big questions – where and how do we dig?
In order to answer both questions, we need to know what parts of an archaeological site might be most likely to have the information we need to answer our research questions and to test the hypotheses we’ve made about the site. How do we decide?
FIRST: we use the information we’ve already gotten about the site from non-invasive studies. For example, if we have areas where metal detecting has found concentrations of metal; [image of metal detecting at a site] LiDAR images that show features in certain areas of the site [LiDAR images of ARI sites]; or ground-penetrating radar anomalies that suggest there’s something below the ground surface in some areas [images of GPR time-slices] – all of those suggest those may be places we want to dig.
SECOND: however, even before we dig there, it’s important to remember that a lot of different things may have been happening at an archaeological site when people lived there. Some of those things may not be detectable by our non-invasive studies. So how do we decide how different areas might be related to each other?
Before an archaeologist digs in specific areas, it’s normally the best idea to start with subsurface testing. Subsurface testing means setting up a place to measure from – usually called a site datum – and laying out a grid – a pattern of squares, usually between 10m and 20m apart, over the surface of a site. [Image of ARI archaeologists doing shovel testing] At each point on the grid, an archaeologist will normally place a shovel test – a square hole, 50cm wide and usually a meter (39 inches) deep. The soil that comes from each test will be screened through a wire mesh screen that can be shaken to get rid of the soil, leaving any artifacts behind in the screen. [Images of ARI archaeologists bagging artifacts] As the tests are dug, archaeologists bag the artifacts they recover, draw a profile of the different levels of soil and any features they find, and draw a map of the places they found artifacts and what kinds of artifacts they found [archaeologists drawing maps].
Once subsurface testing is done, and archaeologists have an idea about where different types of artifacts at a site are coming from, the principal investigator will decide if and where block excavations are to be done. Block excavations are what most people think of when they think of archaeology [Images of block excavations by ARI archaeologists at Trelawn, Wakulla]. They’re larger square or rectangular units, usually 2m x 2m (or roughly 6 feet by 6 feet) square, that are dug in levels – the layers of soil going downwards as they’re dug. As an archaeologist excavates each level, the soil is screened to recover artifacts. As each level is completed, [image of ARI archaeologists drawing maps] any features, such as postmolds, firepits, building foundations, or trash pits, are drawn onto a map that shows their locations and relationships with other features and artifacts.
The artifacts that are found from each level [images of artifacts from Trelawn Plantation dig] are bagged separately from the other levels. That’s because of the law of superposition. [Images of rock layers and soil layers being dug at archaeological and paleontological sites]. The law of superposition say that (unless some comes along and disturbs the soil later) the deeper you dig – the older the soil. That means, generally speaking, that artifacts from the upper layers of soil will be more recent than artifacts found in the deeper layers. [Image of a glass bottle neck and an Archaic stone point side by side]
During block excavations, as larger areas are opened up, archaeologists may be able to find the places where structures once stood [Image of Trelawn dig map]. For example, at the Trelawn Plantation site, the work that’s been done so far has helped archaeologists studying the site to find what appears to be a building that was used first as a kitchen, in the early 1800s, and then as a residence where people lived after the Civil War. [Images of the Trelawn digs] Keeping good records when a dig is going on lets archaeologists learn more about what was happening in each part of the site.
Finally – once the archaeologist has dug just enough to answer their research questions (and no more!), the units that have been dug are filled in and recorded so other archaeologists can come back to the site later. And then – some of the most important parts of a dig begin!
Video 5: Digging is JUST The Beginning – What Happens After Fieldwork is Done! Video 6:31 minutes
SCRIPT
NARRATOR: So – we’ve successfully figured out everything we could about the people we’re studying from the historical records. We’ve figured out where archaeological sites connected with the people we’re studying are located. We got permission from the landowner to dig, did all of the noninvasive testing we could, then figured out where to dig through testing. We’ve finished subsurface testing, completed our block excavations, and filled them back in, after collecting the artifacts and mapping the features and soils at the site. Mission accomplished – right? [Images of all of these things taking place as the narrator proceeds]
WRONG! [Image of the red circle and crossbar over the dig images]
Once we’ve finished the dig – we still have a LOT of work to do if we want to understand what was happening at the site! In this stage of archaeology, we’re taking the artifacts and information we got from the field, and using some very special tools and techniques that can tell us a LOT more about what was going on at the site.
FIRST: laboratory cleaning, drying, analyzing and bagging! [Images of ARI students and volunteers in the lab cleaning artifacts] When artifacts are brought to the laboratory, they’re cleaned of remaining dirt, gently, and then laid out to dry, When they’re completely dried, the artifacts are sorted into categories – types of ceramics, types of stone artifacts, types of metal, types of glass, and so forth – counted, and weighed. This lets archaeologists studying the site figure out where the different concentrations, or groupings, of artifacts are located, and how many of each kind are in different areas.
SECOND: some types of artifacts won’t survive unless they’re conserved. Conserving artifacts means treating them so that they will survive longer. One of the most common kinds of conservation, called electrolysis, is done with iron artifacts. [Image of iron artifacts from Trelawn with rust] When iron artifacts first come from the ground, they may be so badly rusted it’s hard to tell much about them, or even, in some cases, what exactly they are.
[Image/video of electrolysis tubs in ARI lab] Electrolysis takes rusted iron artifacts and puts them in a chemical solution of water and sodium hydroxide. The artifacts then have an electrical current passed through them and the solution, as well as a sacrificial anode usually made of fine steel wire. As the current passes through the artifacts and the solution, the chemical process of rusting is stopped, and the atoms of the rusted iron replaced partly with atoms from the sacrificial anode. When the process of electrolysis is completed, the iron artifacts are scrubbed and dried [Image of the artifacts drying in the lab]. Then, when they’re VERY dry, the artifacts are saturated in a bath of wax or sealant to keep them from rusting ever again. [Images of conserved, sealed artifacts/images of the same artifacts before conservation]. As you can see, doing electrolysis can make a huge difference in preserving and interpreting iron artifacts.
Another helpful tool for archaeologists is the microscope, especially when trying to understand what an artifact is, if it’s small, or what it’s made from. [Image of artifacts on ARI scanning microscope] Through using a microscope in combination with a camera and a computer imaging screen, an artifact under the microscope can be projected onto the screen to make seeing it much easier, and to help find out what things were used to make it.
[Image of pXRF scanner] If an archaeologist wants to know what elements are part of an artifact, a new technology has become available called x-ray fluorescence, or pXRF for short. A pXRF scanner uses a strong burst of X-rays to break down an artifact’s composition and project the different elements it’s made from into a computer. [Images of artifacts being scanned] This means that archaeologists can “look inside” an artifact’s composition and tell differences (for example) between lead or iron or pottery from Spain, in the early colonial period, or the United States, from later in American history.
Finally, after all of the data have been gathered and the archaeologist has information to share about what they’ve done – the most important tool for them is the computer and the internet! When archaeologists have completed a dig, they have an ethical obligation to publish their work so that other archaeologists and the general public can learn more about the things they’ve found. Through publishing articles, blogs, and social media postings, as well as creating online archives and databases, archaeologists can share what they’ve found with the rest of the world!
[END OF THIS SERIES]
SCRIPT
NARRATOR: So – we’ve successfully figured out everything we could about the people we’re studying from the historical records. We’ve figured out where archaeological sites connected with the people we’re studying are located. We got permission from the landowner to dig, did all of the noninvasive testing we could, then figured out where to dig through testing. We’ve finished subsurface testing, completed our block excavations, and filled them back in, after collecting the artifacts and mapping the features and soils at the site. Mission accomplished – right? [Images of all of these things taking place as the narrator proceeds]
WRONG! [Image of the red circle and crossbar over the dig images]
Once we’ve finished the dig – we still have a LOT of work to do if we want to understand what was happening at the site! In this stage of archaeology, we’re taking the artifacts and information we got from the field, and using some very special tools and techniques that can tell us a LOT more about what was going on at the site.
FIRST: laboratory cleaning, drying, analyzing and bagging! [Images of ARI students and volunteers in the lab cleaning artifacts] When artifacts are brought to the laboratory, they’re cleaned of remaining dirt, gently, and then laid out to dry, When they’re completely dried, the artifacts are sorted into categories – types of ceramics, types of stone artifacts, types of metal, types of glass, and so forth – counted, and weighed. This lets archaeologists studying the site figure out where the different concentrations, or groupings, of artifacts are located, and how many of each kind are in different areas.
SECOND: some types of artifacts won’t survive unless they’re conserved. Conserving artifacts means treating them so that they will survive longer. One of the most common kinds of conservation, called electrolysis, is done with iron artifacts. [Image of iron artifacts from Trelawn with rust] When iron artifacts first come from the ground, they may be so badly rusted it’s hard to tell much about them, or even, in some cases, what exactly they are.
[Image/video of electrolysis tubs in ARI lab] Electrolysis takes rusted iron artifacts and puts them in a chemical solution of water and sodium hydroxide. The artifacts then have an electrical current passed through them and the solution, as well as a sacrificial anode usually made of fine steel wire. As the current passes through the artifacts and the solution, the chemical process of rusting is stopped, and the atoms of the rusted iron replaced partly with atoms from the sacrificial anode. When the process of electrolysis is completed, the iron artifacts are scrubbed and dried [Image of the artifacts drying in the lab]. Then, when they’re VERY dry, the artifacts are saturated in a bath of wax or sealant to keep them from rusting ever again. [Images of conserved, sealed artifacts/images of the same artifacts before conservation]. As you can see, doing electrolysis can make a huge difference in preserving and interpreting iron artifacts.
Another helpful tool for archaeologists is the microscope, especially when trying to understand what an artifact is, if it’s small, or what it’s made from. [Image of artifacts on ARI scanning microscope] Through using a microscope in combination with a camera and a computer imaging screen, an artifact under the microscope can be projected onto the screen to make seeing it much easier, and to help find out what things were used to make it.
[Image of pXRF scanner] If an archaeologist wants to know what elements are part of an artifact, a new technology has become available called x-ray fluorescence, or pXRF for short. A pXRF scanner uses a strong burst of X-rays to break down an artifact’s composition and project the different elements it’s made from into a computer. [Images of artifacts being scanned] This means that archaeologists can “look inside” an artifact’s composition and tell differences (for example) between lead or iron or pottery from Spain, in the early colonial period, or the United States, from later in American history.
Finally, after all of the data have been gathered and the archaeologist has information to share about what they’ve done – the most important tool for them is the computer and the internet! When archaeologists have completed a dig, they have an ethical obligation to publish their work so that other archaeologists and the general public can learn more about the things they’ve found. Through publishing articles, blogs, and social media postings, as well as creating online archives and databases, archaeologists can share what they’ve found with the rest of the world!
[END OF THIS SERIES]
THE PLEISTOCENE ERA
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Pleistocene Landscape and Environment
in North Florida The Pleistocene, referred to colloquially as the Ice Age, is the geological epoch that lasted from c.2.58 million to 11, 700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Today, Dr. Andy Hemmings will take a look at the environment and landscape of North Florida and how it changed over time. |
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Pleistocene Animals in North Florida
In this video Dr. Andy Hemmings talks about animals of the pleistocene that the people of North Florida could have encountered and used for food, tools and clothing. This continues a 4 part series of North Florida during the Pleistocene by Dr. Andy Hemmings. |
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Pleistocene Florida Early Organic Tools
Dr. Andy Hemmings explores the early tools used by people living in North Florida during the Pleistocene. This 4 part series is brought to you by the Florida Department of Education and the Aucilla Research Institute. Learning is Fun! |
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The ARI website was funded in part by a grant from The Perkins Charitable Foundation. |
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