Open Area Excavation

Definition

Open area excavation is an archaeological technique that involves removing soil and other materials from a large, flat area to expose and record features, artifacts, and ecofacts in their spatial context. This method allows for the comprehensive examination of a site, enabling archaeologists to understand the layout and relationships of various elements within Viking settlements.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Open area excavation is particularly effective in revealing the layout of structures and features in Viking settlements, such as longhouses or workshops.
2. This method often requires careful planning to ensure that the excavation does not damage important stratigraphic layers, which can provide valuable historical information.
3. Excavating in an open area can help identify patterns of activity across a site, allowing archaeologists to make connections between different finds and their functions.
4. Open area excavations are usually carried out in phases, starting with a broad removal of topsoil followed by more detailed excavation of features.
5. This technique can lead to discoveries of large-scale features, such as defensive structures or communal spaces, which are significant for understanding Viking social organization.

Review Questions

• How does open area excavation facilitate the understanding of spatial relationships in Viking settlements?
  • Open area excavation allows archaeologists to uncover a large expanse of a site simultaneously, providing a comprehensive view of how structures and features are arranged. This spatial perspective helps researchers identify patterns of use and social organization within Viking communities. By exposing multiple artifacts and features at once, it enables a better interpretation of daily life and interactions among different areas of the settlement.
• Discuss the importance of stratigraphy in open area excavation and its implications for interpreting Viking Age sites.
  • Stratigraphy is crucial in open area excavation because it helps establish the chronological order of layers at a site. By understanding the sequence of deposits, archaeologists can determine how different activities overlapped or changed over time. In Viking Age sites, this allows for the analysis of cultural practices, changes in technology, or shifts in settlement patterns. Accurately interpreting stratigraphic layers is essential for creating a reliable narrative of the past.
• Evaluate the advantages and challenges of using open area excavation in archaeological research on Viking settlements.
  • Open area excavation offers significant advantages, such as providing a broader context for understanding site layouts and facilitating the discovery of large features. However, it also presents challenges like the risk of losing stratigraphic context if not executed carefully. Moreover, open area excavations require substantial resources and careful planning to manage the data collected effectively. Evaluating these aspects helps archaeologists make informed decisions about when to employ this method for studying Viking settlements.

Related terms

Stratigraphy:

The study of layered deposits in archaeology, which helps in understanding the chronological sequence of human activity at a site.

Context: The relationship of artifacts, features, and ecofacts to each other and their surroundings within an archaeological site, providing insight into past human behavior.

Site Formation Processes: The natural and cultural processes that affect how archaeological sites are created, maintained, and transformed over time.