Sunday, January 26, 2014

Classic Era Archeology Tools

This is where it starts:



CoastConFan said...

That is a great selection of tools and you are right, the equipment of archeology of the 20s and 30s often used common items from a hardware store, but it is all in how they were used that makes the difference. Putting together a simple set of tools from existent items shows a lot of ingenuity. Sadly, Indiana Jones was not a sterling example of archeology.

As protoarcheology went from absolute amateurs focused on gathering and putting artifacts into collections, to the beginning of disciplined archeological methods, so too did the tools of the trade become standardized.and their use subtler. In time excavation and extraction became “gentler” the tools became more refined and involved with removing smaller amounts of dirt as the goal was to locate and record the item en situ as well as preserving the context for other disciplines to study. Although the physical tools themselves haven’t changed much in the past century, the way they are wielded and the intent behind them has evolved greatly. As nice as physical artifacts are it is the understanding of context and history that give meaning to items.

Michael Moscrip said...

My number one tool that I always had was my trowel. If you're an American acheologist, it pretty much has to be a Marshalltown brand trowel. The other thing is shoes that are smooth on the bottom. Tread or patterns in your tracks make the dirt harder to read.

Anonymous said...

Mojave Jack knows what it's all about!

marcaeoloG said...

Where's the string?