Sylva Sity
Alyza Finley
Archaeology
December 6, 2014
Prompt: In a report of around 8 pages, describe your research design (including your research questions), which buildings you chose, where you excavated and/or did less controlled collection, how you excavated, what you recovered (artifacts, ecofacts, features), how the materials were analyzed, classified, and your conclusions. Describe why you interpret the material culture the way you did, what sources of analogy you used, what theoretical perspective you will adopt, etc.
Research Design:
As an archaeologist in the year 3014, I have designed a research plan to help uncover and excavate Sylva Sity, discovered from a partially complete sign accidentally uncovered by heavy equipment. The whole site, the complete extent of which remains unknown, is covered with 50 feet of volcanic ash. I plan to excavate 5000 square feet of each of these buildings. I plan to conduct a research led excavation of a Bank, Hospital, School, and Local Restaurant. To do this we used mechanical excavation to save time and money. We also used a metal detector before using more soil removing hand-held tools. Because this part of Sylva Sity was evacuated before the volcanic ash, the purpose of this excavation is to unlock the culture of this long lost city. By answering the following questions I plan to more thoroughly understand the extinct culture that lay under this volcanic ash covered city: How important is the exact determination of the origin and original size of the four structures? How important are these structures in determining the local culture of the site being excavated?
Government Building/Court house:
The first building excavated was the cities main government building, what was once known as a court house. Because this building served many purposes we chose to excavate 5000 sq feet of the building which included the first and second of three floors. To do this we used mechanical excavation to save time and money. We also used a metal detector before using more soil removing hand-held tools. The artifacts/ecofacts/features uncovered from this site included:
A desk partially intact on the second floor
Original Maps of the city inside the desk
A set of old keys
A plethora of documents containing laws and city regulations
Multiple desks
Chairs
Bookshelves
Old jail sells
Large room with multiple benches and room for large crowds.
We then analyzed these objects based on an in depth description of their physical appearance, followed by answering the following questions:
What might it have been used for? This must have been the main government building within the whole town because of the wide variety of uses.
Who might have used it? Law makers, Government officials, criminals and the local town population for any sort of government need.
What does it tell us about technology of the time in which it was made and used? Because of the lack of technology used by this society, this shows again the culture preferred a simple life. Whereas most cities and town’s had separate buildings for one purpose, Sylva Sity preferred a more efficient technology free lifestyle. Bank:
The second building we chose to excavate was the city’s main bank. Because this building served many purposes, we chose to excavate 4850 sq feet of the building which included all three floors. To do this we used mechanical excavation to save time and money. We also used a metal detector before using more soil removing hand-held tools. This building was the most covered in volcanic ash, making the hardest of the sites to excavate. The artifacts/ecofacts/features uncovered from this site included:
Currency (Local and Foreign)
Chairs
Desks
Bonds
We then analyzed these objects based on an in depth description of their physical appearance, followed by answering the following questions:
What might it have been used for? Economic standing and comfort ability while running the cities only bank.
Who might have used it?