| fieldwork | Collectively known as fieldwork, an important part of archaeological research involves survey for and excavation of archaeological materials, practices normally done outdoors (in the field).
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| survey (1) | A systematic reconnaissance of the landscape for artifacts and sites on the ground through aerial photography, field walking, soil analysis, or geophysical prospecting; (2) mapping of sites and areas using surveying instruments such as a total station or GPS.
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| excavation | The exposure, recording, and recovery of buried materials from the past.
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| amateur archaeologist | In contrast to professional archaeologists, who are educated in the discipline, amateur or vocational archaeologists collect artifacts, study archaeology, and participate in professionally run excavations. Amateur archaeologists are an important part of the field and have made substantial contributions to our knowledge of the past.
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| reconnaissance | The search for artifacts and sites by survey or field walking.
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| instrumental surveying | Making maps and plans of places and areas of archaeological interest using survey instruments such as a total station or global positioning satellite systems.
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| playa | A dry lake bed, common geomorphological feature in the western United States.
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| seasonal round (a.k.a. annual cycle) | The pattern of subsistence and settlement found among huntergatherers who change residence regularly during the course of a year.
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| ecological constraint | Limitations on human activity imposed by the environment. For example, arid conditions are an ecological constraint on agriculture.
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| study area | A generic term for the region of focus of a research project.
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| sample | A portion of a whole (n); to take a part of a deposit, site, feature, or artifact for analysis (v). The term sampling describes the process of taking a sample. This can be a one-time event, a series of actions, or a statistical process. Statistical sampling is a specific method for taking samples that allows probability estimates to be made about the population that is being sampled. Archaeologists almost always take samples, but only rarely is this done in a statistical fashion.
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| dual-residence | A subsistence and settlement pattern observed among some groups of huntergatherers who live in two places at different seasons during the course of a year.
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| field notes | The records of a field project of survey or excavation with description of activities, finds, records of samples, drawings, photographs, and the like. An important document of the research project.
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| section (a.k.a. profile) | The walls of trenches and squares in excavations that show a cross section of the deposits and reveal the sequence and methods of formation.
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| posthole | The hole or depression left when a post is removed from the ground, an indication of construction posts.
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| inhumation | Burial of all or part of a corpse; contrast with cremation.
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| cremation | A funereal practice involving immolation of the corpse. Cremation burials usually consist of ash and a few fragments of bone and teeth and are often found in urns and small pits. Also, the incinerated remains of a human body. Contrast with inhumation.
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| screening | Sifting or sieving of sediments through fine screens to separate them from artifacts and ecofacts.
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| flotation | An archaeological technique for recovering charred plant remains using water and density differences between heavy and light materials in sediments. Dry sediments are stirred into water, and the lighter plant remains float to the top.
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| datum | A point with known locational coordinates and elevation; a fixed point for surveying.
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| drawing grid (a.k.a. planning frame) | Normally a 1-m2 (10-ft2) frame of wood or aluminum fitted with a grid of string or wire at 20-cm (ca. 8-in) intervals. It is used for drawing detailed plans of vertical sections or horizontal floors in archaeological excavations.
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| contour map | A schematic map of topography, the three-dimensional surface of the earth or other features. Contours are conventionally shown as a series of curved, concentric lines reflecting elevation or relief of a surface.
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| stadia rod | Essentially, a very long ruler that is held vertically and read by an optical surveying instrument to determine distance above the ground.
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| scale | A ratio representing the size of an illustration, map, or reproduction in a publication.
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| alidade | An optical surveying instrument used for making contour maps.
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| total station | A modern surveying instrument using an infrared laser and computer to calculate distance and three-dimensional angles to determine the precise location of a target in terms of grid coordinates and elevation. Replaces levels, alidades, transits, and theolodites.
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| Geographic Information Systems (GIS) | A computer program(s) for the storage, display, and analysis of geographic and spatial data. The basic concept involves the use of overlaid maps of an area in combination with locational information and spatial analytical capabilities.
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| Global Positioning System (GPS) | A locational and navigational system for determining precise three-dimensional coordinates (longitude, latitude, and elevation) of any place on the earth's surface. Satellites broadcast locational information used by GPS equipment to determine the exact position. Replaces traditional, manual land-survey methods.
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| cursus monument | Paired linear earthworks that mark an avenue or long, rectangular area in Neolithic Europe.
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| auger (a.k.a. corer, borer) | A tool for drilling holes, used in archaeology for coring into soil and taking samples.
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| remote sensing | A variety of techniques used for obtaining information about surface or buried objects. Aboveground techniques normally involve aircraft or satellites using photography, radar, and other methods to locate and map features on or near the surface. Belowground techniques use radar, resistivity, magnetic properties, or chemistry to search for buried features.
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| Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner (TIMS) | A satellite instrument that records multiple wavelengths of light reflected from the earth's surface.
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| Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) | An instrument that beams energy waves to the ground surface and records the reflected energy.
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| metal detectors | Instruments that emit an electromagnetic field, which is disrupted by the presence of metal objects in the ground, used for finding buried metal objects.
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| magnetometer (a.k.a. gradiometer) | Measures the earth's magnetic field at an archaeological site to locate buried walls and pits.
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| resistivity meter | Used to measure electrical conductivity in soils, which may be due to the presence of buried disturbances such as fireplaces, burials, or other structures.
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| Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) (a.k.a. georadar) | An instrument that sends radar waves through the ground to reveal buried features.
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