Exploring methods of archaeological sediment chemistry analysis in Western Turkey
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Date
2019
DOI
Authors
Scott, Catherine Barclay
Version
Embargo Date
2021-12-24,2021-12-24,2021-12-24,2021-12-24,2021-12-24,2021-12-24
OA Version
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Abstract
Archaeological sediment chemistry is a valuable but underutilized method for exploring the use of space in the past. It is based on the understanding that many human activities will impact the chemistry of the sediment upon which they are performed, either by introducing or causing depletion of chemical residues. Although sediment chemistry can provide valuable data on “invisible” activities and the ways that humans structure space, it has been underutilized in the Mediterranean to date.
This dissertation comprises four articles, two of which propose new methodological approaches to chemical analysis and sample collection, and two of which are case studies demonstrating the value of sediment chemistry in diverse archaeological contexts. These studies use samples collected from sites in the Gediz River valley in western Turkey through the Central Lydia Archaeological Survey and the Kaymakçı Archaeological Project. Areas studied include a contemporary courtyard used regularly, an abandoned 20th century village, and a 2nd millennium BCE citadel (Kaymakçı).
The first article directly compares the results of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and wavelength dispersive x-ray fluorescence—the latter using two sample preparations, loose-powder and fusion-bead—to determine if the methods produce comparable data. The study demonstrates that these methods are statistically comparable, supporting the validity of a wider variety of analytical methods and therefore increasing the accessibility of the method. The second article presents an innovative multi-scalar sampling strategy designed for the citadel of Kaymakçı; analysis results demonstrate how different chemical datasets inform one another, and how each contributes to our understanding of the site. The third article is an ethnoarchaeological examination of a modern-day courtyard and demonstrates the ability of sediment chemistry to recognize both visible and invisible activity areas that help to reveal the taskscape and smellscape of the courtyard as experienced by its inhabitants. The fourth article presents a holistic sediment chemistry study of the citadel of Kaymakçı. In combination with data from geophysical survey and excavation, results suggest that social organization at the site was relatively heterarchical, in contrast to expectations for a citadel site in this region.