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KEY Archaeological terms and CONCEPTS

Learning Objective: To understand and apply key archaeological terms and concepts to effectively communicate archaeological information.  

The study of archaeology and the past relies on a unique vocabulary. Learning this vocabulary expands what we understand about archaeology and allows us to develop a rich, interconnect network of knowledge.  Below are the key terms/concepts you should know and be able to use as a result of taking this course.  You will encounter many of them in your readings, during class, and during field work.    

To solidify your understanding of these terms/concepts and demonstrate your competence with their use, you will have an opportunity to take a single quiz once a week throughout the block (4 times). The quiz will be available throughout the block. This quiz is to be taken individually. While taking the quiz you may use your Field Notebook but no other resources such as the internet or the textbooks. The quiz is time limited to 30 minutes and will consist of multiple choice, true/false and/or matching questions. The quiz will be offered online through Canvas. Your highest score of four attempts will apply to your final course grade.  

Definitions and examples of the application of the terms/concepts below will be provided in class, through assignments, and in the books that have been assigned during the block. 

IMPORTANT!  The question bank will contain questions about terms/concepts that cover the entire course. In other words, you will encounter terms/concepts before you have read about them or they have been discussed in class. And, not every term/concept below will be discussed in class.  By encountering all the terms/concepts early and often in the quiz, I hope it will be easier for you focus on retaining their definition and use when you encounter them. 
excavation unit
matrix
features
artifacts
ecofact

association
context
stratigraphy and stratigraphic analysis 

strata
activity area
material culture
material correlates
superpositioning
uniformitarianism
seriation
cultural formation processes
natural formation processes
dendrochronology
radiocarbon dating
archaeomagnetic dating
provenience
datum
environmental conditions favoring the preservation of artifacts
sampling strategy (e.g., judgmental, systematic, random, stratified) 
research design
probabilistic sampling
"Preservation Laws"
​​​conservation archaeology
​NAGPRA

repatriation
cultural resources
CRM (cultural resource management)
mitigation

​phase
lithic debitage

shovel-test pits
ground penetrating radar (GPR)
in situ
assemblage
survey
excavation
relative dating methods
absolute dating methods
temper
inference
AD, BC, BCE, CE, BP, kya, mya
archaeobotany
experimental archaeology
ethnoarchaeology
ethnographic analogy
bioarchaeology
ethnography
core
flakes
use-wear
correlation vs. causation
​remote sensing
midden
sherd
aeolian
alluvial
catchment area
ephemeral drainage
​sheet wash (or sheet erosion)
bench (in geology)
aspect
landform
depositional environment​
linear feature

rubric

LEARNING OUTCOME
OUTSTANDING
​SATISFACTORY
​UNSATISFACTORY
To understand and apply key archaeological terms and concepts to effectively communicate archaeological information. ​
Earn a score of 17 or more on the key concepts quiz, after 3 attempts. 
Earn a score between 16 and 13 on the key concepts quiz.
Earn a score below 13 on the key concepts quiz
Scott Ingram, Creative Commons, Some Rights Reserved
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