INTRODUCTION
A site map for Templo del Diablo was analyzed, looking at six house clusters labeled 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 with six trash pits A, B, C, D, E, and F and the two canals Eerie and Love. Two separate test trenches a to a’ and b to b’ were analyzed to gather data on relativity between the objects in the area. It is known that every house cluster contains six houses, was used for only one occupation phase, and used an unique trash pit. House clusters can be contemporaneous and the top of each feature in the test trenches corresponds to time that that feature was used. Lastly, it is known that the Love Canal is postdated by one occupation. These axioms were used in order to assess the information given to the full.
A site map for Templo del Diablo was analyzed, looking at six house clusters labeled 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 with six trash pits A, B, C, D, E, and F and the two canals Eerie and Love. Two separate test trenches a to a’ and b to b’ were analyzed to gather data on relativity between the objects in the area. It is known that every house cluster contains six houses, was used for only one occupation phase, and used an unique trash pit. House clusters can be contemporaneous and the top of each feature in the test trenches corresponds to time that that feature was used. Lastly, it is known that the Love Canal is postdated by one occupation. These axioms were used in order to assess the information given to the full.
PROCEDURE
Gathering information from the test trenches, Table 1 was formulated. Further investigations of the map built Table 2, a reference of all features compared with their spatially associative features, relying upon the law of superposition, “the geological principle that in any pile of sedimentary rocks that have not been disturbed by folding or overturning, each bed is older than the layers above and younger than the layers below” (Kelly and Thomas, page 361). These tables were then compared to find the resulting location for each feature, drawn out in Table 3. Initially, Camron speculated on age while I recorded in a table format the relative dates and Liz wrote out the features that were not up to speculation. The level that each feature then belonged was placed using a combination of the information gathered. Afterwards, these speculations were discussed as a class.
Gathering information from the test trenches, Table 1 was formulated. Further investigations of the map built Table 2, a reference of all features compared with their spatially associative features, relying upon the law of superposition, “the geological principle that in any pile of sedimentary rocks that have not been disturbed by folding or overturning, each bed is older than the layers above and younger than the layers below” (Kelly and Thomas, page 361). These tables were then compared to find the resulting location for each feature, drawn out in Table 3. Initially, Camron speculated on age while I recorded in a table format the relative dates and Liz wrote out the features that were not up to speculation. The level that each feature then belonged was placed using a combination of the information gathered. Afterwards, these speculations were discussed as a class.
OCCUPATIONS
Each housing cluster had its own occupation that was present for only one level. From the test trenches, it is known that level III had two trash pits meaning that two house clusters were contemporaneous at level III. Level IV contains house cluster 4 and trash pit C so these two are paired. It is given that the Love Canal is postdated by only one occupation. Since house cluster 5 is in level I and house cluster 6 is in level II, the Love Canal must be in level II in order to keep this statement true. Trash pit A is above the Love Canal which means that trash pit A is in level I, pairing it with house cluster 5. House cluster 3 is below the Love Canal in level II and above house cluster 4 in level IV so it must be in level III. Since trash pit D is above house clusters 3 and 2, house cluster 2 must be level III or below but house cluster 2 is above house cluster 1 which must be level IV or below since house cluster 1 is below trash pit E, house cluster 2 is also in level III. Trash pit D is above house clusters 2 and 3 in level III and below the Temple at level I so it must be in level II.
Each housing cluster had its own occupation that was present for only one level. From the test trenches, it is known that level III had two trash pits meaning that two house clusters were contemporaneous at level III. Level IV contains house cluster 4 and trash pit C so these two are paired. It is given that the Love Canal is postdated by only one occupation. Since house cluster 5 is in level I and house cluster 6 is in level II, the Love Canal must be in level II in order to keep this statement true. Trash pit A is above the Love Canal which means that trash pit A is in level I, pairing it with house cluster 5. House cluster 3 is below the Love Canal in level II and above house cluster 4 in level IV so it must be in level III. Since trash pit D is above house clusters 3 and 2, house cluster 2 must be level III or below but house cluster 2 is above house cluster 1 which must be level IV or below since house cluster 1 is below trash pit E, house cluster 2 is also in level III. Trash pit D is above house clusters 2 and 3 in level III and below the Temple at level I so it must be in level II.
From here, it has been discovered that level I contains house cluster 5 and trash pit A, level II contains house cluster 6 and trash pit D, level III contains house clusters 2,3 and trash pits B,E, level IV contains house cluster 4 and trash pit C. It is known that house cluster 1 is level IV or below. Since there is no indication that level IV has contemporaneous house clusters, house cluster 1 must be in level V or VI with trash pit F. The map shows no indication of an unused level between house clusters 4 and 1. In addition, the flow of movement in each level also does not indicate a time period between occupations whereupon the area was not used. Thus, house cluster 1 with trash pit F are placed in level V, leaving level VI empty of occupation. Furthermore, in level three, house cluster 3 is paired with trash pit B and house cluster 2 is paired with trash pit E. Given that these house clusters are contemporaneous and the proximity between trash pit E and house cluster 2, it would not make sense for house cluster 3 to use a trash pit so close to house cluster 2 nor for house cluster 2 to use trash pit B when trash pit E is that much nearer. For house cluster 3, both trash pits are a distance away but trash pit B is closer than trash pit E so it also makes more sense to pair those two.
TEMPLE
On the test trench b to b’, the temple sits above level I and does not make an appearance in any of the levels below. However, on the stratigraphy map, The Love Canal and trash pit D are both shown as lower levels than the Temple. Since the Love Canal and trash pit D have both been placed in level II, the Temple must be level I or sooner. Since trash pit A and the Temple are both placed directly above the Love Canal, it is likely that the same occupation made both. If evidence of the Temple is found within trash pit A or house cluster 5, then their association would be known beyond doubt.
TEMPLE
On the test trench b to b’, the temple sits above level I and does not make an appearance in any of the levels below. However, on the stratigraphy map, The Love Canal and trash pit D are both shown as lower levels than the Temple. Since the Love Canal and trash pit D have both been placed in level II, the Temple must be level I or sooner. Since trash pit A and the Temple are both placed directly above the Love Canal, it is likely that the same occupation made both. If evidence of the Temple is found within trash pit A or house cluster 5, then their association would be known beyond doubt.
IRRIGATION CANALS
The Love Canal was placed in level II due to its relativity of other features on the map. It is obvious that trash pit A and the Temple both postdate the Love Canal and that the Love Canal is more recent than house cluster 3 or trash pit C. Given that the Love Canal is post dated by only one occupation, the Love Canal was largely beneficial in sorting the other components by level. In contrast, the Eerie Canal postdates house cluster 6 and trash pit B. Since test trench line a to a’ contains the Eerie Canal, the Eerie Canal is known to be in level I, trash pit B in level III and house cluster 6 in level II.
CONCLUSIONS
CONCLUSIONS
The map presented gives a lot of hidden information that can be deduced with careful observation and using the axioms given in the original set up. However, there are still a few degrees of uncertainty remaining that must be hypothesized from an archaeologist’s perspective in order to further deduce the relativity of all of the items presented. This assignment showcased the relations between four different groups and their stratigraphic relativities. Even with just four features; house clusters, trash pits, canals, the temple, how they all intersect and utilize the same spaces can be quite complicated.
Give an unlimited budget, only two more trenches would need to be completed to remove speculation about the levels of each feature. Let test trench c to c’ extend from house cluster 3 to house cluster 2, capturing trash pit D and the Love Canal. Then allow test trench d to d’ to extend from the Love Canal to trash pit F. Once these two trench lines are added, the level placement for all trash pits excluding A and all house clusters excluding 1 would be known as well as both canals. Since it is obvious that trash pit A and house cluster 1 do not conjoin, this extra information will add an extra degree of certainty to house clusters and trash pit locations that were deduced, particularly for house cluster 1 with trash pit F. Test trench c to c’ will also provide the level of the Love Canal with certainty which will make the observations made more concrete. Since house clusters 2,3 and trash pits B,E were all in level III, a more thorough analysis of their occupations could be conducted to prove which trash pit fit with which house cluster with more certainty than the analysis used. The only thing left to conclude would be the date of the Temple, which was already included in test trench b to b’ with limited assistance. A dating method on the materials used in the Temple’s formation could provide more feedback on its age with more certainty.
SOURCES
1. Kelly, Robert and Thomas, David. Archaeology. Cengage Learning, 2016.
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