What is the difference between systemic and archaeological contexts and how does this matter in archaeological research?

Systemic context refers to artifacts as they’re being used or manipulated by people. Archaeological context refers to natural processes that act on artifacts and features once they’re deposited in the ground.

What is the context of archaeology?

What does context mean? In archaeology, a context is all the information associated to an archaeological element including the provenience (where it is), matrix (the environment in which it was found), and association (the relationships among other artifacts/ecofacts/structures/features).

What is cultural context in archaeology?

Context is a very, very important concept in archaeology. Context is the place where an artifact is found, Not just the place but the type of soil, the site type, and what the artifact was found with or in relation to. I always emphasize this concept when speaking with adults and children about archaeology.

What is secondary context in archaeology?

Secondary Context – Context of an artifact that has been wholly or partially altered by transformation/site formation processes after its original deposit, as in disturbance by human activity after the artifacts’ original deposition. Sherd – The term used for a piece of broken pottery from an archaeological context.

Do archaeological contexts change over time?

Once in the archaeological context, artifacts can continue to be moved and altered by a variety of natural site formation processes, including landslides, burrowing animals, earthworms, tree throw, and the actions of water and climate.

What does the study of depositional context and sedimentary characteristics?

Reconstructing Environments. Study of the depositional context and characteristics of sediments allow specialists to reconstruct paleoenviorments. ( When details of modern sedimentary environments are recognized in prehistoric sediments and landforms, uniformitarian links are forged between the present and the past)

Why is context so important in archaeology?

Context is extremely important to the archaeologist; it is, in fact, what the discipline of archaeology is based on. When artifacts are pulled out of the ground without proper excavation and documentation, their context is irretrievably lost without ever being known.

What are the five main artifact classes encountered on archeological sites?

Artifacts are then sorted according to type of material, e.g., stone, ceramic, metal, glass, or bone, and after that into subgroups based on similarities in shape, manner of decoration, or method of manufacture.