Archaeological science consists of the application of scientific techniques to the analysis of archaeological materials and sites. It is related tomethodologies of archaeology. Martinón-Torres and Killick distinguish 'scientific archaeology' (as an epistemology) from 'archaeological science' (the application of specific techniques to archaeological materials).[1] Martinón-Torres and Killick claim that 'archaeological science' has promoted the development of high-level theory in archaeology. However, Smith rejects both concepts of archaeological science because neither emphasize falsification or a search for causality.[2] Marwick demonstrated that archaeologists' publication habits are more like social scientists than hard sciences such as physics.[3]
In the United Kingdom, theNatural and Environmental Research Council provides funding for archaeometry separate from the funding provided for archaeology.[4]
Archaeological science can be divided into the following areas:[5]
Techniques such aslithic analysis,archaeometallurgy,paleoethnobotany,palynology andzooarchaeology also form sub-disciplines of archaeological science.
Archaeological science has particular value when it can provide absolute dates for archaeologicalstrata andartifacts. Some of the most importantdating techniques include:
Another important subdiscipline of archaeometry is the study of artifacts. Archaeometrists have used a variety of methods to analyze artifacts, either to determine more about their composition, or to determine theirprovenance. These techniques include:
Lead,strontium andoxygenisotope analysis can also test human remains to estimate the diets and even the birthplaces of a study's subjects.
Provenance analysis has the potential to determine the original source of the materials used, for example, to make a particular artifact. This can show how far the artifact has traveled and can indicate the existence of systems ofexchange.[6]
Archaeometry has greatly influenced modern archaeology. Archaeologists can obtain significant additional data and information using these techniques, and archaeometry has the potential to revise the understanding of the past. For example, the "secondradiocarbon revolution" significantly re-dated European prehistory in the 1960s, compared to the "first radiocarbon revolution" from 1949.
Archaeometry is an important tool in finding potential dig sites. The use ofremote sensing has enabled archaeologists to identify many more archaeological sites than they could have otherwise. The use ofaerial photography (includingsatellite imagery andLidar) remains the most widespread remote-sensing technique. Ground-basedgeophysical surveys often help to identify and map archaeological features within identified sites.[7]
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