Key Terms and Concepts - Ancient Sites and Sources

layers of rocks and soil beneath the earth

a strip or wall of earth left between trenches to enable study of the complete stratigraphy of a site

the origins and published ownership history of an archaeological artefact

pottery expert

a proposed explanation based on limited evidence that is used as a starting point for further investigation

Archaeologists conduct this type of dig in a more limited time frame. Sometimes there is only time to remove as many artefacts as possible before the development resumes.

Archaeological excavations that are conducted for answer and ask questions about past civilisations; or to test a hypothesis. What type of dig is this?

A geophysical method in which radar pulses are used to produce images of the subsurface. Radar signals in the form of electromagnetic pulses are directed into the ground.

the use of aircraft or satellites to create images of the land to be interpreted for archaeological information

ground-based physical sensing techniques used in archaeology for imaging or mapping