Apply Knowledge Of How Archaeological Deposits Accumulate Training

Objectives:
• Understand the concept of archaeological deposits and their significance.
• Identify the basic principles of site formation processes.
• Differentiate between natural and cultural formation processes.
• Recognise the role of stratigraphy in archaeological interpretation.

Topics:
• Definition and types of archaeological deposits.
• Overview of site formation processes: natural vs. cultural.
• Introduction to stratigraphy and the Law of Superposition.
• Factors affecting deposit accumulation: climate, human activity, and time.
• Basic terminology: context, feature, artifact, ecofact.
• Importance of understanding deposits for archaeological interpretation.

Objectives:
• Describe how geological processes influence deposit formation.
• Explain the impact of environmental factors on accumulation and preservation.
• Identify common sedimentary environments in archaeological contexts.
• Analyse the effects of soil formation on archaeological deposits.

Topics:
• Geological processes: erosion, deposition, and weathering.
• Alluvial, colluvial, aeolian, and glacial deposits.
• Environmental factors: climate, vegetation, and hydrology.
• Soil formation and its impact on artifact preservation.
• Case studies: coastal, riverine, and cave deposits.
• Post-depositional disturbances: bioturbation, cryoturbation, and human activity.

Objectives:
• Identify cultural processes that create and modify archaeological deposits.
• Understand how human activities contribute to deposit accumulation.
• Differentiate between primary and secondary refuse.
• Recognise indicators of anthropogenic deposits.

Topics:
• Cultural formation processes: construction, abandonment, and discard.
• Primary vs. secondary refuse and their archaeological signatures.
• Features: hearths, pits, middens, and structures.
• Anthropogenic soils: terra preta, plaggen soils, and occupation layers.
• Impact of agriculture, industry, and urbanisation on deposits.
• Case studies: settlement patterns and land use over time.

Objectives:
• Apply principles of stratigraphy to interpret depositional sequences.
• Identify different types of stratigraphic units.
• Use Harris matrix to represent stratigraphic relationships.
• Understand the concept of facies and lateral variation.

Topics:
• Principles of stratigraphy: superposition, original horizontality, cross-cutting relationships.
• Types of stratigraphic units: layers, lenses, and interfaces.
• Harris matrix construction and interpretation.
• Facies analysis and lateral variation in deposits.
• Distinguishing between natural and cultural stratigraphy.
• Practical exercise: reading a stratigraphic profile.

Objectives:
• Understand the principles of relative and absolute dating.
• Apply relative dating methods to deposit sequences.
• Describe key absolute dating techniques and their applications.
• Integrate dating results with stratigraphic interpretation.

Topics:
• Relative dating: typology, seriation, and stratigraphic correlation.
• Absolute dating: radiocarbon, luminescence, dendrochronology.
• Dating organic and inorganic materials: charcoal, bone, shell, sediment.
• Calibration and interpretation of dating results.
• Bayesian analysis for chronological modelling.
• Case studies: dating complex depositional sequences.

Objectives:
• Apply appropriate field methods for recording archaeological deposits.
• Implement sampling strategies for different deposit types.
• Use standardised recording systems for stratigraphic units.
• Collect and document samples for laboratory analysis.

Topics:
• Excavation techniques: single context, open area, and test pits.
• Recording systems: context sheets, plans, sections, and photography.
• Sampling strategies: judgmental, systematic, random, and stratified.
• Collection of bulk samples, micromorphology, and archaeobotanical samples.
• On-site documentation and data management.
• Health and safety considerations in the field.

Objectives:
• Integrate field data and analytical results to interpret deposit history.
• Construct a narrative of site formation processes.
• Present findings in a professional report format.
• Apply knowledge to real-world archaeological contexts.

Topics:
• Synthesising stratigraphy, dating, and formation processes.
• Building a site formation model: natural and cultural factors.
• Writing interpretive reports: structure and content.
• Case studies: applying knowledge to South African sites.
• Ethical considerations in archaeological interpretation.
• Final assessment: practical exercise in deposit interpretation.