UPPER COLCA
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UPPER COLCA ARCHAEOLOGICAL
RESEARCH PROJECT
Arequipa, Peru
III. Site Recording Method
Site Definition (working definition):
the presence of two precolonial cultural artifacts within 10m of one
another.
Isolate Definition: an artifact that is
temporally diagnostic according to our current projectile point and
ceramic typologies.
When either a site or an isolate are found then the survey stops
and everyone gathers, and site recording begins.
Traditionally archaeologists try to record these kinds of sites
in 15-30 minutes using tape, compass, paper forms, and a camera.
In this project we will be recording sites using Arcpad 6.
When a site is found the following things will take place:
One GPS will be set on the ground to collect 500 measurements
for one high-accuracy point.
The crew leader will being filling out an Arcpad form designed
for site recording.
Four members of the crew will take 1 quadrat (NW, SW, NE, SE)
from the known artifact locations and will pin-flag all cultural
artifacts as they are found. This will help to establish the site
boundary. Ultimately, this boundary is shot in as a polygon.
A crew member will take pictures of the site and take notes
concerning environmental context.
Arcpad form
Some of the information to be included on the Arcpad site form.
Site number:
Site Type: Lithic scatter, Rock shelter, Rock art, Terrace,
Precolonial structure.
Lithic Materials: obsidian, chert, chalcedony, basalt
Lithic Types: proj. points, tools, debitage.
Ceramic Types: sherds, rim sherds, bases
Ceramic colors: black on red, black on grey, plainware...
Photo Numbers:
Site / Feature Form
Surface features will be mapped both in and out of sites.
Walls, rock art, concentrations of stone tools or ceramics,
hearths.
Features can be points, lines, or polygons. Sites are
all polygons.
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Photos linked to features more than to sites.
An archaeological site is somewhat arbitrary. "Siteless
survey" may be possible some day.
Transect Form
GPS could be collecting data the entire survey. Every survey
transect could be recorded.
Statements about site density within surveyed area could be
quantifiable.
Transect form might include:
Number of surveyors:
Spacing of surveyors:
Which surveyor has which GPS units:
Type of ground cover:
Data will be reintegrated into ArcGIS 8 geodatabase on a laptop at night.
Photos can be tied to GPS points using Date/Time stamp on JPG
files, linked in ArcGIS using Hyperlink tool.
III. Site
Recording
IV.
Conclusions
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