Jamestown Rediscovery: 4 Stages of Research Design PDF

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An essay on the 4 stages of research design used in modern archaeology. ...

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Jamestown Rediscovery: 4 Stages of Research Design Anthropology 272 (Essay 2 of 3, Assignment #1)

The strategic excavation process archaeologists follow are principles that amount to success. Written by William M. Kelso, The Jamestown Rediscovery passage in Colin Renfrew and Bahn’s textbook, “Archaeology: Theories, Methods, and Practice” shows us the importance for a structured rediscovery. The 4 stages used in excavation of modernday Jamestown are formulation, collecting and recording, processing and analysis, then publication. To pinpoint the original fort plan, as well to understand how this area evolved, archaeologists first need to create a formulated outline. To support an ongoing plan, you must create a research strategy for the project backbone. This is known as the first step of a research design, formulation. Formulation processes affect the way in which archaeological materials came to be buried, and their subsequent history afterwards. (Renfrew & Bahn 2012:579) In 1994, Archaeologists leading the Jamestown excavation made a simple design; uncover, record and analyze or interpret their findings. A formulation is meant to test an idea or resolve a specific question by creating this plan. Archaeologist’s goals at Jamestown were to determine the basic fort plan, learn the daily lives of the Native Americans of Virginia, and to record fort occupations. To achieve this, they needed to combine open-area excavation with a traditional grid based control system. This created a relatively complex hybridized excavation, meaning multiple practices of excavation. The ongoing excavation would create new questions, therefore requiring a documentary search as well. The reported search helps the analyzing process and also aids archaeologists to breakdown areas to excavate, answering their questions in return. Following formulation, archeologists must gather their material in a distinctive way in the process called Collecting and Recording. The second step in a standard research design titled “Collecting and Recording,” requires organization systems with fine attention to detail. The second stage involved collecting and recording of evidence against which to test the formulation idea, usually by the organization of a team of specialists and conducting of fieldwork-weather survey or excavation or both. (Renfrew and Bahn 2012:71) This time consuming process requires standard procedures to be followed. In the Jamestown excavation, a grid of 10 ft. squares were to be dug in correspondence with areas directed to be uncovered. Differences in soil color, physical remains, and the texture of land describe where

prominent land locations once stood in the 16th century fort. When items or land marks are located, they are assigned numbers that organize them into a system. This system is known as the “Station Guided GIS Site Map,” showing us locations with remnants of excavated wells, pits, cellars, fireplaces, ditches, graves, buildings, and foundations. As part of the SGGSM, items found are then given letters to identify which layer the excavated object belonged to. Archaeologists in the James Fort famously found an old water well, successfully entering it into this system. Samples of separate layers of soil are collected for future chemical analyzing brought to light in the next stage of a successful research design. Once the Jamestown excavation has collected and recorded their materials, the next steps are to process, analyze and publicize their findings. Processing and analysis of evidence in the light of an original idea formed is to be tested. (Renfrew and Bahn: 71) Following the collection, geotextile fabric covers land that’s been dug prior and the excavated materials are processed for a thorough cleaning. The age and integrity of artifacts determines which screening method to use, so they don’t accidently damage the remnants. Wet screening is a method used in this discovery that uses pressurized hoses with multiple different mesh screens, used on more stable and dense artifacts. Soil is taken from the site and chemically analyzed for further information of materials and their date. Vases, bones, keys, and everyday utensils are just some of the mentionable artifacts collected from the Jamestown Fort Project. The broad analyzation is done with findings from Jamestown by x-ray recording, and chemical or mechanical treatments. Long term preservation however, requires some thought in which way they should be stored. They are preserved according to each materials needs, some of which requiring low humidity storage units to unheated or room temperature storage. The vast majority of contexts are then photographed, drawn, and archived in a systematically manor to keep everything organized. Archaeologists enter artifact information into a single system. A searchable computer cataloguing program will have the contexts entered at this stage. This helpful modern program finds the materials by number, design, form and context. The digital technology helps the publication stage by having one stop for all important information. Plans, photos, and artifacts are combined with the GIS site map for greater understanding. Reconstruction of land can be easily done digitally on these programs, visually showing

us the land centuries ago. After all these stages are completed, the next important job is to publicize the results, usually through books and articles. Publication is the act of making your findings and results public, publication of the results in articles, books, excreta, is essential. (Renfrew and Bahn: 71) Due to the ongoing project at Jamestown, reports are generated each year of excavation. The interpretation of this site is constantly evolving, causing changing evidence to be publicized each year. When you finish the last steps of processing, analyzing and publicizing you will have successfully completed a proper archaeological research design. These four steps create a structured excavation for purpose, ultimately increasing archaeologist’s chances for better findings. Formulation, collecting and recording, processing and analyzing, and Publicizing create systematically structured information. Archaeologists work great with a plan, having a research design has developed newly recovered information at the Jamestown excavation. Following these fine principles will undoubtedly bring upon an archaeologist’s success.

References Colin Renfrew and Paul Bahn. (2012) Archaeology: Theories, Methods and Practice. China. Thames & Hudson. William M. Kelso. (2011) Jamestown Rediscovery: The Excavation Process. Page 111....