Site survey

Definition

A site survey is a systematic examination of a specific area to identify and record archaeological features, artifacts, and environmental data. This process is crucial in understanding social organization and settlement patterns as it provides insights into how ancient communities utilized their environments, where they settled, and the spatial relationships between various sites.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Site surveys can involve various techniques such as pedestrian survey, test excavations, and the use of technology like GPS and GIS to map site locations.
2. These surveys help archaeologists identify potential excavation sites and provide a broader understanding of regional settlement patterns over time.
3. Site surveys can reveal information about social organization by showing the distribution of structures, indicating hierarchies or communal living arrangements.
4. Environmental data collected during site surveys can indicate how ancient populations adapted to their surroundings, impacting their settlement choices.
5. The results from site surveys are crucial for creating cultural resource management plans to protect significant archaeological sites from development and destruction.

Review Questions

• How does a site survey contribute to understanding the social organization of ancient communities?
  • A site survey contributes to understanding the social organization of ancient communities by revealing the spatial arrangement of structures and artifacts within a given area. This information helps archaeologists determine how people interacted with each other and their environment. For instance, the layout of homes, communal spaces, and storage areas can indicate social hierarchies or community dynamics, shedding light on the organizational structure of those societies.
• Discuss the various methods utilized in conducting a site survey and their significance in studying settlement patterns.
  • Various methods utilized in conducting a site survey include pedestrian survey, where archaeologists walk over the landscape to collect surface artifacts; remote sensing techniques like ground-penetrating radar that detect subsurface features; and test excavations that provide stratigraphic context. Each method plays a significant role in studying settlement patterns as they help locate sites, reveal artifact distributions, and assess how geography influenced where people chose to live. Together, these methods create a comprehensive picture of past human behaviors.
• Evaluate the impact of environmental data gathered during site surveys on our understanding of human adaptation in different geographical contexts.
  • Environmental data gathered during site surveys significantly impacts our understanding of human adaptation by illustrating how ancient populations interacted with their surroundings. This data can include information on soil types, water sources, and available resources which are essential for survival. By evaluating this environmental context alongside settlement patterns, researchers can analyze how changes in climate or resource availability influenced migration, subsistence strategies, and community organization over time, ultimately revealing the complexities of human adaptation across different geographical landscapes.

Related terms

Archaeological context: The relationship of artifacts and features within the physical space of a site, providing information about their use and significance.

Remote sensing: Technological methods used to gather information about a site from a distance, often utilized in site surveys to detect subsurface features without excavation.

Settlement pattern analysis: The study of how and where communities choose to settle, influenced by factors like geography, resources, and social structure.