The Geoarchaeology of Place: The Effect of Geological Processes on the Preservation and Interpretation of the Archaeological Record

Because the landscape on which prehistoric people lived was dynamic and continually changed, the record of prehistoric activities across the landscape has been differentially preserved and destroyed. Insightful reconstructions of human organizational (settlement) systems from the archaeological reco...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American antiquity 1996-07, Vol.61 (3), p.483-497
Main Authors: Waters, Michael R., Kuehn, David D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
Antiquities
Archaeological site recording
Archaeological sites
Archaeology
Badlands
Environmental studies
Geology
Geology and climatology
Highlands
Landscapes
Lowlands
Methodology and general studies
Prehistoric era
Prehistory and protohistory
Sediments
Terraces
Valleys
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Summary:Because the landscape on which prehistoric people lived was dynamic and continually changed, the record of prehistoric activities across the landscape has been differentially preserved and destroyed. Insightful reconstructions of human organizational (settlement) systems from the archaeological record require a full understanding of the geological forces and history that have shaped that record. The landscape histories of the North Dakota Badlands and the stream systems of southern Arizona illustrate these points and the importance of geoarchaeological investigations to properly interpret the archaeological record.
ISSN:0002-7316
2325-5064
DOI:10.2307/281836