Unit Excavation
Like shovel test excavation, unit excavation helps archaeologists determine the potential depth of cultural materials below the ground. Test units, which are like shovel tests but broader, also allow archaeologists to evaluate the intactness of an archaeological site and thus inform management decisions.
Why do we do this?
Like shovel test excavation, unit excavation helps archaeologists determine the potential depth of cultural materials below the ground. Test units, which are like shovel tests but broader, also allow archaeologists to evaluate the intactness of an archaeological site and thus inform management decisions.
Process
Archaeologists place test units over areas with the potential for buried cultural materials. In the Permian Basin, archaeologists often target features on the ground such as cooking hearths, concentrations of fire-cracked rock, or dunes, which protect buried cultural material from natural and human-caused disturbance. Test units are excavated in levels using hand tools such as shovels and trowels. Excavated dirt is passed through a wire mesh to sift out charcoal, animal bone, or other small artifacts. Archaeologists keep digging until they reach bedrock, or determine they are unlikely to find anything. When they finish digging, they record data including depth of the test unit, soil descriptions, and artifacts found (if any). Then they fill the test units back in with the same dirt.
An artifact found
Gallery
