Chapter 2: Excavation
Multiple Choice Questions
Weblinks
This chapter deals with the strategies and techniques archaeologists use to recover archaeological remains from land and sea.
2.1 Types of excavation
The site of Rescue can be found at:
http://www.rescue-archaeology.freeserve.co.uk/
Sites for the excavations at Castell Henlys are at:
http://www.york.ac.uk/depts/arch/castellhenllys/web/
2.2 Excavation strategies and the process of excavation
The following provide good coverage of a range of excavations. Most are research excavations.
Pompeii (Italy) http://www.bradford.ac.uk/archsci/field_proj/anampomp/index.html
Boxgrove (England) http://matt.pope.users.btopenworld.com/boxgrove/boxhome.htm
Ballynahatty (Northern Ireland) http://www.qub.ac.uk/arcpal/ballynahatty.htm
Dunragit (Scotland) http://orgs.man.ac.uk/research/dunragit/
Flixborough (England) http://www.hullcc.gov.uk/archaeology/flixboro.htm
Scatness (Shetland) http://www.brad.ac.uk/acad/archsci/field_proj/scat/
Raunds (England) http://museums.ncl.ac.uk/raunds/index.htm
Avebury (England) http://www.arch.soton.ac.uk/Research/Avebury/
White Cairn (Scotland) http://www.uclan.ac.uk/facs/science/archaeology/multimedia/whitecairn.html
Many archaeological units have websites of their projects. A high
proportion of these are rescue excavations. Excellent examples can be
found at:
http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/
Heathrow Airport (Rescue) http://www.framearch.co.uk/index.html
http://www.framearch.co.uk/t5/
English Heritage produce a number of useful guides including one on environmental sampling:
http://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/media/Media,64419,en.pdf
2.3 What records do archaeologists create?
The Harris Matrix is explained at:
http://www.harrismatrix.com/
Recording contexts:
http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/dept/d10/asb/anthro2003/archy/exploration
2.4 Special cases: excavating human remains
An interactive tutorial on excavating human remains is on the Patois site at:
http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/project/patois/module4/index.html
Also:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/archaeology/excavations_techniques/
2.5 Special cases: urban excavation
New York:
http://r2.gsa.gov/fivept/fphome.htm
Ireland:
http://www.heritagecouncil.ie/publications/archresearch/6.html
2.6 Special cases: wet sites and underwater archaeology
The following are sites which deal with aspects of underwater archaeology. They are particularly useful given the low profile of this aspect in many textbooks.
The Museum of Underwater Archaeology:
http://www.uri.edu/mua/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/archaeology/excavations_techniques/marine_01.shtml
Nordic underwater archaeology:
http://www.abc.se/%7Em10354/uwa/
Dutch maritime archaeology:
http://www.marinemuseum.nl/uk/default.htm
Turkish maritime archaeology:
http://www.diveturkey.com/inaturkey/projects.htm
Scottish Trust for underwater archaeology (includes Crannogs):
http://www.arcl.ed.ac.uk/arch/underwater/stua.htm
Maritime archaeology lists:
http://ina.tamu.edu/
Scottish Crannog Centre:
http://www.crannog.co.uk/
A Mesolithic fireplace (Denmark):
http://dendro.de/Unterwasserarchaeologie/NAU%209/Dal.pdf
D Day beaches:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/archaeology/excavations_techniques