Methods and Practices in Archaeology

Topics: 1. A short history of archaeological fieldwork as a part of European antiquarianism first in Europe and then in Orient and Africa. 2. Development of archaeological field-methods in the works of General Pitt-River and Sir Flinders Petri, Mortimer Wheeler and Kathleen Kenoyan. 3. Concept of sites in archaeology. Categories of sites. 4. Traditional methods of explorations and site discoveries using textual sources, local knowledge as also village to village surveys 5. Modern methods of extensive and intensive surveys. Use of maps and remote sensing data. Cartography and archaeology involving GIS. Merits and demerits of sampling in archaeological surveys. Merits and demerits of full-coverage surveys. Three case studies from India dealing with exploration strategies, protohistoric, historical and medieval. 6. Excavations methods: Sondage and vertical excavation methods. Horizontal and Quadrant methods. Other methods including open area excavations, excavations by arbitrary units, Harris matrix. 7. The concept of stratigraphy and stratification in archaeology. Difference between stratigraphy and stratification. Recording stratifications and creating stratigraphy. 8. Recording artefacts and features. three dimensional recording. Collection procedure of ecofacts including bones and pollen grains. 9. Post excavation study of artefacts and ecofacts. Drawing of pottery. 10. Principles of Dating methods including Relative dating methods, Radio carbon, Optically Stimulate Microscopy, Thermoluminescence, Potassium Argon Dendrochronology. 11. Interpretation of archeological Survey and Excavation methods, historical sources, ethnoarchaeology. 12. Merits and Demerits of archaeological survey and methods. Select Readings Aitken, M.J. 1990. Science based Dating in Archaeology. London: Longmans. Atkinson, R.J.C. 1953. Field Archaeology. London: Methuen and Co. Banning E.B. 2002. Archaeological Survey, Manuals in Archaeological Method, Theory and Technique, Springer. Barker, P. 1982. Techniques of Archaeological Excavation. London: Batsford. Binford, L.R. 1964. A Consideration of Hypothetical Research Design, American Antiquity 29:425 441.