Screening

Definition

Screening is a method used in archaeology to separate artifacts from soil and sediment during excavation. It involves sifting through excavated material using a mesh screen to capture small items that might be missed in larger bulk collections. This process is crucial for recovering fragile or tiny artifacts that provide insights into past human behavior and cultural practices.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Screening helps ensure that even the smallest artifacts are recovered, which is essential for a comprehensive understanding of a site.
2. Different sizes of mesh screens can be used in screening, with smaller meshes capturing smaller artifacts while larger meshes are quicker for bulk materials.
3. This process can also aid in recovering ecofacts, such as seeds or bones, which provide information about diet and environment.
4. Screening is often done in tandem with excavation techniques to enhance the overall recovery and preservation of archaeological materials.
5. Proper screening techniques can significantly reduce the risk of losing valuable historical information during the excavation process.

Review Questions

• How does screening enhance the recovery of artifacts during archaeological excavations?
  • Screening enhances the recovery of artifacts by ensuring that small and fragile items are not overlooked during excavation. By sifting through excavated soil with mesh screens, archaeologists can capture a wider range of artifacts, including those that may provide critical insights into past societies. This method increases the overall efficiency of excavations by maximizing the amount of data collected from each context.
• Discuss the relationship between screening and stratigraphy in archaeological investigations.
  • Screening and stratigraphy are closely related in archaeology as both aim to improve understanding of a site's history. While stratigraphy provides a chronological framework by analyzing layers of soil and artifacts, screening complements this by allowing for the recovery of items that might otherwise be missed in bulk excavations. Together, they contribute to a more thorough interpretation of an archaeological site’s significance and the activities that took place there.
• Evaluate how advancements in screening techniques have influenced archaeological methodology and artifact preservation.
  • Advancements in screening techniques, such as the introduction of mechanized screens or finer mesh sizes, have significantly influenced archaeological methodology by improving efficiency and effectiveness in artifact recovery. These innovations allow archaeologists to recover more data in less time while ensuring greater preservation of fragile items. By enhancing the volume and variety of materials collected, these techniques have led to richer interpretations of past human behavior and cultural practices, thereby reshaping our understanding of history.

Related terms

Excavation: The systematic removal of soil and sediment to uncover archaeological remains and features.

Stratigraphy: The study of rock layers (strata) and layering in archaeological sites, which helps to understand the chronological sequence of human activity.

Artifact: An object made or modified by humans, often recovered during archaeological excavations, which can provide valuable information about past cultures.