Archaeology Lab/Cast Study

Lab-MARV_39.docx

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Archaeologists for Hire: An In-Class Activity

A new archaeological firm has recently been formed by Dr. Cage and Dr. Rand. Archaeologists for Hire was going to lead a series of new projects in the Marveloso Valley, focusing on reevaluating the Salado Phase (200 – 600). Unfortunately, before the two could get started they began to disagree over where exactly to excavate. As a result, the two are excavating separate sites.

You are working with Dr. Rand at MARV-39, a hilltop fortress in the middle valley. Stay focused on your work or Dr. Rand’s assistant Miss Wing will hurt you. Two excavations units were put within the walled fortress. Unit I is in the fortress’s main plaza, Unit II is in a large structure that may have been a residence for a chief. Unit III is located on a residential terrace located below the fortress.

Your goal will be to write a brief report summarizing your findings for Dr. Rand so that he can justify continuing excavations at the site. Some things you might want to consider include what were the most significant aspects of the site’s occupation, how the settlement changed over time and what that tells us about the people who lived there. Your report must be a minimum of 750 words (I’m actually counting on this one), it should have a clear thesis that you support with specific examples from the material excavated.

On profile drawings:

Profile drawings show the stratigraphy of a layer. Ideally an archaeologist should draw all four profiles of each unit excavated. The profiles are labeled by the direction that the person drawing that profile is facing; so the northern profile is the profile for the northern edge of the excavation unit. Here are some tips to follow when looking at a drawing of a profile:

· The grids you see on the drawings usually are measured in meters. The horizontal marks measure the length of the excavation unit from left to right.

· The vertical measurements measure the depth of an excavation. A length of string is run from one corner of the excavation to the other, and this forms an equator of sort. Depth is measured relative to this 0 marker. It should be noted that you can measure above the 0 marker, if it is placed below the surface.

· Units from the same sites may not have the stratigraphic sequence. So Layer D in unit 1 may not be the same as layer D in unit 2. So think if the stratigrphaphic sequences for two units do correspond or not. If they don’t, does this mean something? Sometimes it does, sometimes it does not.

Glossary

Phase		Description
Huaynac	1500	Inca Empire
	1400
Chicha	1300	Collapse of Huari Empire; emergence of warring kingdoms in highlands
	1200
	1100
	1000
Cumba	900	Huari Empire conquers valley, creates regional administrative centers
	800
	700
Salado	600	Establishment of several kingdoms ruled by priest-kings. Warfare between coastal and highland kingdoms
	500
	400
	300
	200
Afero	100	Collapse of Chavin Horizon; emergence of numerous warring chiefdoms
	AD/BC
	100
	200
Roca	300	So-called Chavin Horizon; few major regional centers
	400
	500
	600
Balda	700	Emergence of agriculture, ceramics, irrigation, permanent settlements and monumental architecture
	800
	900
	1000
	1100
	1200
	1300
	1400
	1500
	1600
Marina	1700	Hunter-gatherers that lived in seasonal camps; no ceramics
	1800
	1900
	2000 BC

Here are some key terms that you may need to understand the descriptions of layers you may have:

Bedrock – The hard rock surface of a mountain; archaeological soils form on top of bedrock.

Camelid – An animal that pertains to the family Camelidae, this includes llamas, alpacas, guanacos and vicuñas. Llamas and alpacas can be domesticated or wild. Camelid bones can be associated with herding or hunting.

Cervid – An animal that pertains to the family cervidae, these are species of deer. In South America deer species were never domesticated and these animals were hunted, usually by groups that had not domesticated llamas and alpacas

Hearth – An area where a fire is built; in the archaeological record it is identified by a large concentration of ash and burnt soil; fragments of charcoal and other burnt objects are usually found inside a hearth

Projectile points – Stone tools that have pointed ends and worked edges that are hafted on to the ends of spears and arrows; primarily used for hunting

Sand – A soil comprised of usually silica dioxide where grain diameter is usually between 2 and 64 mm.

Sherd – A fragment of a ceramic vessel; or in plainer words, a piece of a pot.

Soil – A loose sediment comprised of a mixture minerals, ground rock, and organic material that serves as a matrix for archaeological material

Sterile soil – A soil that is devoid of artifacts and represents the time before people were at a site

Wattle and daub – A building material made from pressing reeds into mud. Usually used for making walls or roofs.

Site map of MARV-39

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MARV-39, unit I

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MARV-39, unit II

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MARV-39, unit III

Unit	Profile	Layer	Description
1	North	A	Coarse light gray gravel with Cumba and Salado Phase ceramics
1	North	B	Light brown soil with Cumba Phase decorated serving vessels and camelid bones
1	North	C	Floor 1
1	North	D	Coarse brown sand with Salado Phase ceramics, obsidian flakes, and human bone fragments
1	North	E	Floor 2
1	North	F	Corner of pit grave with disarticulated remains of five adult males
1	North	G	Coarse yellow sand with a small quantity of Salado Phase ceramics
1	North	H	Rocky brown soil with Salado Phase serving vessels and home bone fragments
1	North	I	Floor 3
1	North	J	Coarse yellow sand with a small quantity of Salado Phase ceramics
1	North	K	Light brown rocky soil with Cumba Phase decorated serving vessels and camelid bones
1	North	L	Rocky brown soil with Salado Phase ceramics, corn cobs and stone grinding tools
1	North	M	Compact brown soil with some Afero Phase ceramics and a small quantity of cervid bones
1	North	N	Sterile soil
2	North	A	Light gray gravel with Salado Phase ceramics
2	North	B	Rocky brown soil with a few undecorated Cumba Phase ceramics and corn cobs
2	North	C	Semi-compact brown soil with decorated Salado Phase ceramics and camelid bones
Unit	Profile	Layer	Description
2	North	A	Light gray gravel with Salado Phase ceramics
2	North	B	Rocky brown soil with a few undecorated Cumba Phase ceramics and corn cobs
2	North	C	Semi-compact brown soil with decorated Salado Phase ceramics and camelid bones
2	North	D	Floor 1
2	North	E	Coarse yellow sand with no artifacts
2	North	F	Compact reddish brown soil with decorated Salado Phase ceramics, camelid bones and corn cobs
2	North	G	Floor 2
2	North	H	Burnt soil with charcoal and camelid bones
2	North	I	Coarse yellow sand with no artifacts
2	North	J	Rocky light brown soil with a small quantity of Salado and Afero Phase ceramics
2	North	K	Loose brown soil with Afero Phase ceramics and cervid bones
2	North	L	Compact light brown soil with Afero Phase ceramics and cervid bones
2	North	M	Sterile soil
2	North	W	Wall 1, stone and mortar wall with plaster finish
2	North	W	Wall 2, stone and mortar wall with plaster finish
2	North	W	Wall 3, fragments of wattle and daub wall
2	North	W	Wall 4, fragments of wattle and daub wall
2	North	W	Wall 5, fragments of wattle and daub wall
3	East	A	Light gray gravel with Cumba Phase ceramics
3	East	B	Light brown semi-rocky soil with undecorated Cumba Phase ceramics
3	East	C	Compact light brown soil with elaborately decorated Cumba Phase ceramics, camelid bones, corn cobs and beads from necklaces
3	East	D	Floor 1
3	East	E	Semi-compact light brown soil with elaborately decorated Cumba Phase ceramics, camelid bones, corn cobs, peanut shells, and obsidian flakes
3	East	F	Floor 2
3	East	G	Light reddish brown soil with Salado Phase ceramics, corn cobs and peanut shells
3	East	H	Floor 3
3	East	I	Coarse yellow sand with no artifacts
3	East	J	Light brown soil with Salado Phase ceramics, corn cobs and stone grinding tools
3	East	K	Light brown rocky soil with Salado Phase ceramics, corn cobs and peanut shells
3	East	L	Rocky brown soil with Salado and Afero Phase ceramics
3	East	M	Compact brown soil with a few Afero Phase ceramics, corn cobs and maize roots
3	East	N
3	East	W	Wall 1; stone and mortar wall with plaster finish
3	East	W	Wall 2, fragments of a wattle and daub wall