Occupational Times in Archeology Paper This problem is made up, you don’t need to research.Your assignment is to reconstruct the occupational history of th

Occupational Times in Archeology Paper This problem is made up, you don’t need to research.Your assignment is to reconstruct the occupational history of this site using the sectional diagram and other information provided. The stratigraphic diagram here shows the vertical arrangement of strata, with Stratum 1 being the highest. Strata
have been assigned numbers; walls have been assigned letters. For purposes of this exercise, assume that only
one basic kind of pottery and associated decoration was actually being produced (e.g., ” hand-made; burnished
black surface “) in each period. Remember, however, that artifacts made in earlier times regularly appear in later
levels because people are constantly digging down into earlier levels and bringing up old artifacts, so do not be
surprised if some strata have a chronological mix. The term “stratum” here is used very loosely as a way to
describe a level that is homogeneous in soil color, texture, and other characteristics. In a real site such “strata”
would likely be excavated in many separate units, not in a single pass. When strata are discontinuous (as when
cut completely by a later feature such as a pit), I indicate that by using the same stratum number for each
segment of the stratum.
Your assignment is to reconstruct the occupational history of this site using the sectional diagram and other
information provided. For the purposes of this assignment, we will 1) assume that this trench is representative
of the entire site and 2) that if a datable artifact or feature belonging to a particular period is reported, it
means that the site was actually occupied then. In real life, it often happens that some parts of a large site may
have been abandoned at a particular time, while other parts were occupied, but we will ignore that possibility
here. Assume that any direct scientific dates have been calibrated using the best means possible.
First, identify the basic times of occupation using the pottery data, datable artifacts and radiocarbon dates
provided. By “times,” I mean continuous episodes of people occupying the site, which may extend across
several archaeological periods. For example, “The site was occupied continuously between the Huhu IV and
Deede II periods based on the presence of hand-made red burnished pottery and wheel -made pale-surfaced
pottery painted entirely red and brown in Strata X, Y, and Z. It was abandoned during the Dede III period ….”
Indicate briefly what evidence leads you to your conclusions. You do NOT need to regurgitate all of the
evidence given for each stratum. Second, identify any probable buildings and what wall features and floors
belong to them, any graves, or other features (e.g., pits) evident in the sectional diagram and with what latest
period they are associated; if a more specific latest terminus post quem than a whole period is possible becaus
of a more specifically datable item associated with it, provide that as well for any graves, buildings, or other
features that you have identified. Third, answer the specific questions below.
1) Bella Donna argues that the Paleolithic ax found in Wall A proves that people in the Paleolithic period were
building stone walls and that the wall itself must date to the Paleolithic period. Is this a correct interpretation,
and why or why not?
2) Cali Fornia believes that there is a serious problem with Stratum 8, because the radiocarbon date on the log
is much earlier than the other datable material in the stratum. Al Aska says that there is a perfectly obvious
reason for the apparent discrepancy. What is it?
3) Neb Raska does not understand why there is such a mix of different pottery in Stratum 13. What is a probable
explanation for this?
Evidence from strata:
Stratum 1: Many steel cans and glass bottles dating between 1950-1970 AD; coin dating to 1962 AD.
Stratum 2: Many sherds of white glazed porcelain; few sherds of wheel-made green glazed pottery; glass bottle
datable to 1860-1880 AD
Stratum 3: Many sherds of wheel -made green glazed pottery; some sherds of wheel-made pottery with dark
surface and white circle patterns; coin of the emperor Bloopus II, known to have ruled between 745-765 AD
Stratum 4: As soon as the excavators noticed the top of Wall D appearing when they were excavating stratum 3,
they started this new stratum. Many sherds of wheel-made pottery with dark surface and white circle patterns;
some sherds of wheel-made pottery with dark surface and white spiral patterns; a few sherds of wheel-made
pottery with pale surface and painted horizontal red lines.
Stratum 5: This was a very hard-packed stratum between Walls A & B. It seemed to have been walked on
repeatedly. Nothing except a piece of a walnut shell was found within it. This was radiocarbon dated to 200
± 25 BC.
Stratum 6: This was a very hard-packed stratum between Walls C & D. It seemed to have been walked on
repeatedly, like Stratum 5. Only one sherd was found in it, a piece of wheel-made pottery with pale surface
and painted diagonal red lines.
Stratum 7: Many sherds of wheel-made pottery with pale surface and painted diagonal red lines and
many sherds of wheel-made pottery with pale surface and painted horizontal red lines
Stratum 8: Many sherds of wheel-made pottery with pale surface and painted diagonal red lines and many
sherds of wheel-made pottery with pale surface and painted vertical red lines. A large piece of a wooden log
was found. A date on the innermost growth ring was 1300 ± 50 BC.
Stratum 9: Many sherds of wheel-made pottery with pale surface and painted vertical red lines; some sherds
of hand-made pottery with rough brown surface and incised squares.
Stratum 10: Many sherds of hand-made pottery with rough brown surface and incised squares.
Stratum 11: This stratum had some few sherds of hand-made pottery with rough brown surface and incised
squares. There is also a stone seal of a type known to have been used only during the rule of King Snerkon I
and his son, Snerkon II, the leaders of the nomadic tribe of Admin. These two were ruling between 1160-1120
BC. The Admin, who referred to themselves as the “Hungry Horde,” were known for invading territory,
stripping it bare of resources, and then moving onto another place.
Stratum 12: Many sherds of hand-made pottery with burnished red surface
Stratum 13: Many sherds of hand-made pottery with burnished black surface, many sherds of hand-made
pottery with burnished brown surface, many sherds of hand-made pottery with burnished orange surface, and
a few of hand-made pottery with smoothed white surface.
Stratum 14: This stratum was filled with very soft soil and many sherds of hand-made pottery with
burnished orange surface; it had many burned animal bones, mostly sheep and goats. Preserved collagen in
one of the bones was radiocarbon dated to 2350 ± 100 BC. The calcium in bones is not datable by
radiocarbon, but collagen, which is a protein, is, and it sometimes is preserved.
Stratum 15: Many sherds of hand-made pottery with burnished brown surface.
Stratum 16: Many sherds of hand-made pottery with burnished black surface.
Stratum 17: Many sherds of hand-made pottery with smoothed white surface; some sherds of hand-made
pottery with smoothed yellow surface.
Stratum 18: Many sherds of hand-made pottery with smoothed yellow surface.
Stratum 19: This stratum was the fill of a rectangular pit with an adult female skeleton at the bottom. It had
a whole cup of hand-made pottery with smoothed yellow surface next to the skeleton.
Stratum 20: This stratum was the fill of a rectangular pit with an adult male skeleton at the bottom. It had
a whole jug of hand-made pottery with smoothed yellow surface next to the skeleton.
Stratum 21: This stratum was the fill of a rectangular pit with the skeleton of a young person whose sex could
not be determined. There were no artifacts, but a radiocarbon date on bone collagen from the skeleton dated to
4275 ± 175 BC.
Evidence from features:
Wall A: Nothing except stones and mortar, but one of the stones was a large, worn Paleolithic stone ax of a
type that was used between 500,000-300,000 BC.
Wall B: Nothing except stones and mortar.
Wall C: Nothing except stones and mortar.
Wall D: One of the wall’s stones had a written inscription on it. The excavators are sure this stone was not
re-used from some earlier building but was actually carved onto the block when the wall was made. It states
that the building was the gift of Queen Na-Na and King Ya-Ya to their loyal general, Goofu. This king and
queen are known to have ruled between 275-240 BC.
Pottery chronology: this region has been investigated in previous excavations and archaeologists have
developed a regional chronology based on the decoration of the pottery, which you may assume to be reliable;
the various periods are described below. The periods are named after well-known sites that were discovered
to have the best-preserved remains of those particular times. Once again, the details are completely
fictitious. The periods are shown here going from the latest backward in time toward the earliest.
Modern
1500-2019 AD
wheel-made; white glazed porcelain
Baba Period IV
Baba Period III
Baba Period II
Baba Period I
900 AD-1100 AD
700 AD-900 AD
400 AD-700 AD
200 AD-400 AD
wheel-made; blue glazed
wheel-made; green glazed
wheel-made; brown glazed
wheel-made; red glazed
Fifi Period II
Fifi Period I
100 BC-200 AD
300 BC-100 BC
wheel-made; dark surface with white spiral patterns
wheel-made; dark surface with white circle patterns
Jyjy Period III
Jyjy Period II
Jyjy Period I
500 BC-300 BC
700 BC-500 BC
1000 BC-700 BC
wheel-made; pale surface with painted horizontal red lines
wheel-made; pale surface with painted diagonal red lines
wheel-made; pale surface with painted vertical red lines
Gogo Period II
Gogo Period I
1100-1000 BC
1200-1100 BC
hand-made; rough red surface with incised circles
hand-made; rough brown surface with incised squares
Dede Period III
Dede Period II
Dede Period I
1500-1200 BC
1800-1500 BC
2000-1800 BC
wheel-made; pale surface, painted entirely black
wheel-made; pale surface, painted entirely brown
wheel-made; pale surface, painted entirely red
Huhu Period IV
Huhu Period III
Huhu Period II
Huhu Period I
2200-2000 BC
2600-2200 BC
3000-2600 BC
3300-3000 BC
hand-made; burnished red surface
hand-made; burnished orange surface
hand-made; burnished brown surface
hand-made; burnished black surface
Kookoo Period III
Kookoo Period II
Kookoo Period I
4000-3300 BC
4500-4000 BC
5000-4500 BC
hand-made; smoothed white surface
hand-made; smoothed yellow surface
hand-made; smoothed tan surface
Two pieces of information are provided for each pottery ware: “wheel -made” and “hand-made” refer to how
the pot was formed by the potter; the other information refers to the color of the surface and the typical kind of
decoration on the surface. “Glaze” is a kind of paint that melts when heated in a kiln and has a glassy surface.

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