Skip to main content
Social Sci LibreTexts

7: Excavation

  • Page ID
    74744
  • \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

    Learning Objectives

    By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

    • Articulate why the decision to excavate must be related to a project’s research design
    • Compare and contrast the goals and research potential of vertical and horizontal excavations
    • Describe the role of the Pythagorean theorem in the excavation process
    • Outline the typical process of excavation

    • 7.1: Introduction to Excavation
      In this chapter, we explore excavations—the “digs” alluded to but rarely shown in movie and television depictions of archaeologists (who always show up just in time to discover the treasure). This chapter explores the process of excavation and how it relates directly to implementation of archaeologists’ research designs.
    • 7.2: Activity 1 - Excavating the Land of Candy - A Cultural Resource Management Exercise
      In this exercise, you have been hired to record and submit required Resource Record DPR (Department of Parks and Recreation) forms for an archaeological site that was discovered during construction of a new building at the college. The first part of this exercise requires you to participate in a team recording the newly discovered archaeological site, and the second part requires you to complete Resource Record DPR forms for submission to the California Office of Historic Preservation.


    This page titled 7: Excavation is shared under a CC BY-NC license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Amanda Wolcott Paskey and AnnMarie Beasley Cisneros (ASCCC Open Educational Resources Initiative (OERI)) .

    • Was this article helpful?