Techniques: Archaeological Excavation

Archaeological sites may be excavated for research and to recover archaeological materials before they are destroyed or lost due to erosion, construction or land modification. Excavation can be done by hand or with heavy machinery depending upon the circumstances. These decisions are often made based on the available time and money, and the complexity and extent of the archaeological deposits.

Through archaeological excavations, archaeologists are interested in recovering as much information as possible about the contexts of artifacts and deposits, not just in the artifacts themselves. Information about context is preserved through careful excavation, and by fully documenting artifacts and deposits with measurements, maps, and photographs. A three-dimensional grid system is used to control the locations of excavation units and the materials found in them. Excavations are done by following the natural layers in the soil or by arbitrary levels if no natural layers can be distinguished.

During the course of excavations archaeologists will recover many kinds of samples. In addition to common prehistoric artifacts such as pieces of pottery, flakes of stone, and grinding implements, other materials such as pollen, plant parts, human and animal bone, shell, and textiles may be found.

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