Methods of Excavations : Introduction, Trial, Vertical Excavation and Step Trenches

5.1 Do you know?

Description Image Source

Augustus Pitt Rivers (1827- 1900) was the British Source: Archaeologist https://alchetron.com/Augustus- who contributed Pitt-Rivers-1153425-W to the development of excavation methods.

Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie (1853-1942, Source: also a British https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flinde Archaeologist rs_Petrie and he developed the seriation method.

Rakal Das Banerjee was an important archaeologist of Source: Pre- http://www.caluniv.ac.in/about/Tea Independence cher.html India and he discovered the site of Mohenjodharo.

Daya Ram Shahni http://asi.nic.in/asi_aboutus_history excavated the .asp Site of Harappa.

Sir Robert Eric Mortimer Wheeler was crucial in the development of excavation Source: methods in https://alchetron.com/Mortimer- India. He Wheeler-1285929-W trained numerous Indian archaeologists at Taxila.

Edward Harris is an Archaeologist from Bermuda and he Source: developed the http://mediterraneoantiguo.blogspot Harris Matrix .in/2015/04/interview-with-edward- system to harris.html document the relationships among the loci or contexts.

5.2 Timeline

Timelines Image Description

Excavation was initiated in USA by the third American President Thomas Jefferson 1781-82 Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas _Jefferson_and_slavery

Antiquarians did have proper excavation methods. Belzoni’s (Image Till 19th on the left) methods are criticized. Century Source: http://www.touregypt.net/featurestorie s/belzoni.htm

Even in the 19th century experiments were on in excavations. Image on the left: Excavation in Athena Temple, Sketch prepared by Heinrich 19th Century Schliemann (1822-1890). Source: http://www.myrine.at/Schliema/schliem e.html

Montroville Wilson Dickeson. He excavated archaeological sites in the USA. Source: 1840s https://www.penn.museum/sites/exped ition/mastodons-mound-builders-and- montroville-wilson-dickeson- Montroville Wilson pioneering-american-archaeologist/ Dickeson.

Excavations by antiquarians including James Babington, Meadows Taylor, Alexander Rea across India 19th Century contributed to the collections of museums. The reports of these antiquarians display good grasp of the subject and proper documentation.

Meadows Taylor, Source: http://www.libraryireland.com/irishartis ts/colonel-philip-meadows-taylor.php

Sir John Marshal, R.D. Banerjee and Early 20th Dayaram Shahni and Ernes Mackay century were the pioneers of this period.

Mackay’s Excavation at Mohenjodaro

Taxila School of Archaeology was 1940s organized by Robert Eric Mortimer Wheeler

Wheeler’s Section: Taxila, Source: Robin Coningham, Chapter 3 - Histories of South Asian Archaeology, Cambridge University Press Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO97811390206 33.003

Use of Vertical and Horizontal After 1950s Methods across India at several sites

ASI Excavations at Lothal Source: http://photodivision.gov.in/writereaddata/ webimages/thumbnails/70336.jpg

Use of Context Based Methods and From the Harris Matrix is employed in Indian 1990s Archaeology

Harris Matrix based on the section above: Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/co mmons/9/9b/Harris_section_example.jpg

5.3 Glossary

Staring Related Term Definition Character Term A Augur Method In this method augur is used to get samples from Coring the lower part of buried archaeological site. B Baulk The Unexcavated area around a trench. It is used in Wall, Balk, grid method. It is normally 50 cm in thickness. Section C Coring Method Method used in geology for obtaining the cores of Augur sediments. Also used in archaeology in inevitable Method circumstances G Ground GPR is a devise used before excavation to Survey, Penetrating understand the buried features. It helps for the Excavation Radar layout of the trenches. G Grid Method Gridding the excavated areas into small squares for Horizontal control over digging. This method is also known as Method Wheeler-Kenyon Method. H Harris Matrix A method of illustrating relationships among Stratigraphy various features/contexts using a matrix. H Horizontal Horizontal Method of excavating a site Excavation Excavation of Towns Method and Villages, Settlement Pattern L Locus Locus means space or place in Latin. It refers to a Matrix, context. It is one unit of activity in a trench. Activity

Area

L Line Level Spirit level used for measuring the depth and Spirit Level various features for more accurately. O Open Area The method of excavating a large area without Horizontal Excavation leaving baulks or grids Method excavation Q Quadrant Used for the excavation of Circular features: Stupas Megaliithic Method or circular Burials burials; Grid Method S Sondage A small test excavation. Trial trench, Text excavation S Step Cutting Digging of large mounds in the form of steps to Strep negotiate unmanageable depth. Trenching V Vertical Excavation focusing on the vertical sequence and Cultural Excavation cultural history of a site. Sequence

5.4. Weblinks

Web links https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Excavation_(archaeology) http://science.jrank.org/pages/2617/Excavation-Methods.html https://www.ashadocs.org/aha/03/03_04_Higginbotham.pdf http://www.rantinandrovin.com/2013/07/05/archaeology-trenches-and-grids/ https://www.archaeologysouthwest.org/pdf/rn/rio_nuevo_ch02.pdf http://www.archaeologists.net/sites/default/files/CIfAS&GExcavation_1.pdf https://maas.museum/event/zagora/archaeological-field-tools-and-methods/ http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/educators/lesson_plans/decoding_the_past/digging.html http://www.ihti.ca/eng/IHT-Archaeological-Excavation-Guide.pdf https://achill-fieldschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/molasmanual942.pdf http://www.archaeology.ru/Download/Drewett/Drewett_1999_Field_Archaeology.pdf http://www.nara.accu.or.jp/elearning/2005/archaeoloical.pdf

http://www.pawv.org/special/Process%20of%20Archaeology.pdf https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Pq-tw7HWRw http://www.epaves.corsaires.culture.fr/flash/en/uc/05_01

5.5. Bibliography

Bibliography

Atkinson, R. J. C. 1953. Field Archaeology. London, Methuen & Co. Ltd (2nd ed.).

Barker, P. 1982. Techniques of archaeological excavation. Batsford, London, (2nd ed.). Branigan, Keith. 1988. Archaeology Explained. London, Duckworth.

Browne, D. 1975. Principles and practice in modern archaeology. Teach Yourself Books, London.

Chakrabarti, D.K.1988. History of Indian Archaeology. Delhi, Munshiram Manoharlal

Clarke, Grahame 1979. Sir Mortimer and Indian Archaeology. Delhi, ASI.

Harris, Edward C. 1989. Principles of Archaeological Stratigraphy. London & New York, Academic Press. (2nd ed.)

Dever, William G. and H. Darrell Lance 1982. A Manual of Field Excavation. New York, Hebrew Union College -Jewish Institute of Religion.

Drewett, Peter L. 1999. Field Archaeology. London, UCL Press. Fagan, Brian.1994. In the Beginning: An Introduction to Archaeology. London.

Greene, Kevin. 1991. Archaeology, An Introduction. London, B.T. Batsford.

Jowkousky, Martha. 1980. A Complete Manual of Field Archaeology. New Jersey, Prentice Hall Trade. Kenyon, K.M. 1964. Beginnings in Archaeology. London, Dent.

McIntosh, Jane. 1986. The Practical Archaeologist. London, Facts of File Publication,.

Pitt Rivers, A. H. L. F. 1887-1898. Excavations at Cranborne Chase. 4 vols., London.

Raman, K.V. 1991. Principles and Methods of Archaeology. Madras, Parthajan Publications,

Rajan, K. 2002. Archaeology: Principles and Methods. Thanjavur, Manoo Pathippakam.

Rajan, K. 2016. Understanding Archaeology. Field Methods, Theories and Practices. Thanjavur, Manoo Pathippakam.

Renfrew Colin, P. Bhan, Archaelogy: Theories, Methods and Practice. Thames and Hudson, London, 2008.

Srivastava, K.M. 1982. The New Era of Indian Archaeology. New Delhi, Cosmo Publications.

Webster, G. 1974. Practical Archaeology. 2nd edition, London

Whitehouse, Ruth D. 1983.The Macmillan Dictionary of Archaeology. London.

Wheeler, R. E. M. 1956. Archaeology from the Earth. Penguin, London (first published in 1954 Woolley, L. 1930. Digging in the past. Abe Books.