Screening

Definition

Screening is a process used in archaeology to separate artifacts and other materials from soil during excavation, often involving the use of mesh or a sieve. This technique is essential for recovering small objects and human remains that may otherwise be overlooked, ensuring a more comprehensive understanding of the site and its historical context. By filtering excavated material, screening plays a crucial role in preserving the integrity of archaeological findings, especially when analyzing human remains.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Screening is often done with different mesh sizes to catch various artifact types, allowing archaeologists to recover even the smallest items.
2. This technique is particularly important when excavating burial sites, as small bones or artifacts can provide critical information about the deceased's identity and cultural practices.
3. Screening helps minimize loss by ensuring that valuable information from the site is not discarded with the dirt and debris.
4. In addition to human remains, screening can also recover organic materials like seeds or pollen, which are vital for understanding past environments.
5. The use of water screening can enhance recovery rates, especially for fragile or decomposed remains, providing better preservation conditions.

Review Questions

• How does screening enhance the archaeological process during the excavation of human remains?
  • Screening enhances archaeology by ensuring that even the smallest artifacts or human remains are recovered during excavation. By using various mesh sizes, archaeologists can effectively filter soil and prevent loss of valuable information that could provide insights into burial practices, cultural significance, and individual identities. The careful recovery of these materials contributes significantly to our understanding of past societies and their treatment of the dead.
• Discuss how screening relates to the concepts of context and stratigraphy in archaeology.
  • Screening plays a critical role in preserving context and supporting stratigraphic analysis in archaeological excavations. By carefully separating artifacts from soil, archaeologists maintain the spatial relationships between items, which is essential for reconstructing historical narratives. The stratigraphic context provided by screened materials allows researchers to establish chronological sequences and understand how human activities interacted with their environment over time.
• Evaluate the significance of screening in modern archaeological practices compared to earlier methods used for recovering artifacts.
  • Screening represents a significant advancement in archaeological methodology compared to earlier artifact recovery methods, which often involved less systematic approaches. Modern techniques like water screening and varying mesh sizes have greatly improved artifact recovery rates and preservation of delicate materials. This shift highlights a greater awareness of the importance of thoroughness in excavation practices, enabling archaeologists to gather richer data sets that enhance our understanding of past human behavior and cultural practices.

Related terms

Stratigraphy: The study of rock layers (strata) and layering, which helps establish the chronological sequence of archaeological sites.

Taphonomy: The branch of paleontology that deals with the processes of fossilization and the changes that occur to organic materials over time.

Context: The spatial and temporal setting of an archaeological find, which provides insight into the relationships between artifacts and their surrounding environment.