Breaking Free from Field Layers: The Interest of Post-excavation Stratigraphies (PES) for Producing Reliable Archaeological Interpretations and Increasing Chronological Resolution
Emmanuel Discamps
(1)
,
Marc Thomas
(1)
,
Christelle Dancette
(1)
,
Brad Gravina
(2)
,
Sébastien Plutniak
(3)
,
Aurélien Royer
(4)
,
Alexandre Angelin
(5)
,
François Bachellerie
(6)
,
Cédric Beauval
(7)
,
Jean-Guillaume Bordes
(2)
,
Marianne Deschamps
(1)
,
Mathieu Langlais
(2)
,
Véronique Laroulandie
(2)
,
Jean-Baptiste Mallye
(2)
,
Alexandre Michel
(2)
,
Thomas Perrin
(1)
,
William Rendu
(8)
1
TRACES -
Travaux et recherches archéologiques sur les cultures, les espaces et les sociétés
2 PACEA - De la Préhistoire à l'Actuel : Culture, Environnement et Anthropologie
3 CITERES - Cités, Territoires, Environnement et Sociétés
4 BGS - Biogéosciences [UMR 6282]
5 Archéorient - ARCHEORIENT - Environnements et sociétés de l'Orient ancien
6 Archéologie d'Alsace
7 Archéosphère
8 ZooSCAn - Archaeozoology in Siberia and Central Asia
2 PACEA - De la Préhistoire à l'Actuel : Culture, Environnement et Anthropologie
3 CITERES - Cités, Territoires, Environnement et Sociétés
4 BGS - Biogéosciences [UMR 6282]
5 Archéorient - ARCHEORIENT - Environnements et sociétés de l'Orient ancien
6 Archéologie d'Alsace
7 Archéosphère
8 ZooSCAn - Archaeozoology in Siberia and Central Asia
Emmanuel Discamps
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 21670
- IdHAL : emmanuel-discamps
- ORCID : 0000-0002-2464-0761
- IdRef : 15865286X
Marc Thomas
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 1210271
- ORCID : 0000-0002-8160-1910
Christelle Dancette
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 1291919
- ORCID : 0000-0002-3322-1876
Sébastien Plutniak
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 5054
- IdHAL : sebastien-plutniak
- ORCID : 0000-0002-6674-3806
- IdRef : 229983634
Aurélien Royer
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 175674
- IdHAL : royer-aurelien
- ORCID : 0000-0002-0139-8765
Alexandre Angelin
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 173066
- IdHAL : alexandre-angelin
- ORCID : 0009-0002-4337-331X
François Bachellerie
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 1291921
- ORCID : 0000-0002-4146-902X
Jean-Guillaume Bordes
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 1291923
- ORCID : 0009-0009-7350-0122
Marianne Deschamps
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 171901
- IdHAL : marianne-deschamps
- ORCID : 0000-0002-4985-6382
- IdRef : 190671726
Mathieu Langlais
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 177729
- IdHAL : mathieu-langlais
- ORCID : 0000-0002-7075-388X
- IdRef : 121467570
Véronique Laroulandie
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 14761
- IdHAL : veronique-laroulandie
- ORCID : 0000-0002-9745-6578
- IdRef : 07926736X
Jean-Baptiste Mallye
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 179795
- IdHAL : jean-baptiste-mallye
- ORCID : 0000-0002-8630-8676
- IdRef : 123467225
Alexandre Michel
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 1291924
- ORCID : 0009-0008-7234-5629
Thomas Perrin
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 15247
- IdHAL : tperrin
- ORCID : 0000-0002-8788-3437
- IdRef : 055851355
William Rendu
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 17527
- IdHAL : wrendu
- ORCID : 0000-0003-2137-1276
- IdRef : 12824948X
Résumé
In order to track diachronic changes in archaeological sequences, researchers typically partition time into stratigraphic layers defined during fieldwork, which serve as the framework for ensuing analyses. These analytical units have a significant impact on archaeological inference, defining its resolution, and influencing both the study of cultural assemblages and the reconstruction of past environments. However, field layers are seldom re-evaluated after excavation despite the fact that archaeological deposits are now commonly recognised as often containing material 'mixed' together by site formation processes, excavation techniques, or analytical practices. Although the analysis of intra-site spatial data clearly offers a means to overcome these issues, our literature review of 192 journal articles revealed the potential of this data (notably vertical projections of piece-plotted artefacts) to be under-exploited in prehistoric archaeology. Here, we advocate for the development of a more spatially informed framework for interpretation that we refer to as post-excavation stratigraphy or PES. After proposing a definition for PES, we attempt to develop a framework for theoretical considerations underlying their implication, importance, and potential. Three main benefits of PES are highlighted: ensuring assemblage reliability, increased chronological and spatial resolution, and more reliable interpretations based on a multi-stratigraphic approach. We contend that the stratigraphy defined during fieldwork is insufficient and potentially misleading. By providing a different "stratigraphic view" of the same sequence, each specialist can contribute data that, when combined, produces a better understanding of interactions between changes in, for example, technological or cultural traditions, subsistence strategies, or paleoenvironments.
Domaines
Archéologie et PréhistoireFormat du dépôt | Fichier |
---|---|
Type de dépôt | Article dans une revue |
Titre |
en
Breaking Free from Field Layers: The Interest of Post-excavation Stratigraphies (PES) for Producing Reliable Archaeological Interpretations and Increasing Chronological Resolution
|
Résumé |
en
In order to track diachronic changes in archaeological sequences, researchers typically partition time into stratigraphic layers defined during fieldwork, which serve as the framework for ensuing analyses. These analytical units have a significant impact on archaeological inference, defining its resolution, and influencing both the study of cultural assemblages and the reconstruction of past environments. However, field layers are seldom re-evaluated after excavation despite the fact that archaeological deposits are now commonly recognised as often containing material 'mixed' together by site formation processes, excavation techniques, or analytical practices. Although the analysis of intra-site spatial data clearly offers a means to overcome these issues, our literature review of 192 journal articles revealed the potential of this data (notably vertical projections of piece-plotted artefacts) to be under-exploited in prehistoric archaeology. Here, we advocate for the development of a more spatially informed framework for interpretation that we refer to as post-excavation stratigraphy or PES. After proposing a definition for PES, we attempt to develop a framework for theoretical considerations underlying their implication, importance, and potential. Three main benefits of PES are highlighted: ensuring assemblage reliability, increased chronological and spatial resolution, and more reliable interpretations based on a multi-stratigraphic approach. We contend that the stratigraphy defined during fieldwork is insufficient and potentially misleading. By providing a different "stratigraphic view" of the same sequence, each specialist can contribute data that, when combined, produces a better understanding of interactions between changes in, for example, technological or cultural traditions, subsistence strategies, or paleoenvironments.
|
Auteur(s) |
Emmanuel Discamps
1
, Marc Thomas
1
, Christelle Dancette
1
, Brad Gravina
2
, Sébastien Plutniak
3
, Aurélien Royer
4
, Alexandre Angelin
5
, François Bachellerie
6
, Cédric Beauval
7
, Jean-Guillaume Bordes
2
, Marianne Deschamps
1
, Mathieu Langlais
2
, Véronique Laroulandie
2
, Jean-Baptiste Mallye
2
, Alexandre Michel
2
, Thomas Perrin
1
, William Rendu
8
1
TRACES -
Travaux et recherches archéologiques sur les cultures, les espaces et les sociétés
( 44675 )
- Maison de la Recherche, 5 allée Antonio Machado 31058 TOULOUSE Cedex 9
- France
2
PACEA -
De la Préhistoire à l'Actuel : Culture, Environnement et Anthropologie
( 205557 )
- Université de Bordeaux - Bâtiment B8 - CS50023 - Allée Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire - 33615 Pessac Cedex
- France
3
CITERES -
Cités, Territoires, Environnement et Sociétés
( 199947 )
- 33 allée Ferdinand de Lesseps BP 60449 37204 Tours cedex 3
- France
4
BGS -
Biogéosciences [UMR 6282]
( 182913 )
- Université de Bourgogne - 6 boulevard Gabriel - 21000 Dijon
- France
5
Archéorient -
ARCHEORIENT - Environnements et sociétés de l'Orient ancien
( 619 )
- Maison de l'Orient et de la Méditerranée Jean-Pouilloux 7 rue Raulin 69365 LYON Cedex 07
- France
6
Archéologie d'Alsace
( 494305 )
- 11 Rue Jean-François Champollion, 67600 Sélestat
- France
7
Archéosphère
( 17623 )
- Domaine du Haut Carré, Bat C5 351 cours de la Libération 33405 Talence Cedex
20 rue Suffren, F-33300 Bordeaux
10 rue de la Rhode 11500 Quillan
- France
8
ZooSCAn -
Archaeozoology in Siberia and Central Asia
( 1081689 )
- Russie
|
Vulgarisation |
Non
|
Comité de lecture |
Oui
|
Audience |
Internationale
|
Langue du document |
Anglais
|
Licence |
Paternité - Pas d'utilisation commerciale
|
Nom de la revue |
|
Date de publication |
2023-10-10
|
Volume |
6
|
Numéro |
1
|
Page/Identifiant |
29
|
Projet(s) ANR |
|
Domaine(s) |
|
Mots-clés |
en
Archaeological methods Assemblages Excavation Spatial analysis Stratigraphy Taphonomy, Archaeological methods, Assemblages, Excavation, Spatial analysis, Stratigraphy, Taphonomy
|
DOI | 10.1007/s41982-023-00155-x |
Origine :
Publication financée par une institution
Licence : Paternité - Pas d'utilisation commerciale - CC BY 4.0
Licence : Paternité - Pas d'utilisation commerciale - CC BY 4.0
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