An Educational Activity for Home or Classroom
Introduction | Activity | Vocabulary
The earth beneath your feet consists of many layers. These layers are formed and changed by erosion, gardening, activities, litter and events in nature such as floods. Each layer or level is distinct in its color and texture, so each indicates an event or a different time period. The artifacts from the levels or "strata" allow archaeologists to date the levels once they have analyzed and dated them. Artifacts are dated by looking at the way they were made and how they were decorated. Archaeologists only dig down to sterile soil, soil that has not been changed by human activity.
- Print the Activity Page.
- Look at the drawing of the Site Section and the artifact catalogue, and answer the questions.
- Compare your answers with the Answer Page.
Artifact: An object made or modified by people.
Manufacture: To make a raw material into a finished product.
Relative Dating: The procedure used to determine the chronological sequence of artifacts, assemblages or sites rather than their actual date.
Seriation: A graphical comparison of a series of artifact assemblages that have been put in chronological order based on their similarities. This may include the presence or absence of key artifact types. Complex seriation can be determined using mathematics and computers.
Site Section: A map of the side wall of an excavation, showing a profile of the soil strata.
Sterile Soil: Soil containing no evidence of human occupation. The last level in an excavation where digging is stopped.
Strata or Stratigraphic Layers: Layers of soil (which can contain artifacts) of different color or texture, usually representing different periods of time. The oldest layers of soil and artifacts are usually on the bottom, the most recently deposited on the top. One layer is called a stratum.
Stratigraphy: The study of soil layers.
