Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7fkt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T07:25:14.763Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Statistical Use of Artifact Distributions to Establish Chronological Sequence

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Paul Dempsey  and
Martin Baumhoff
Paul Dempsey
Affiliation:
University of California, Davis, California
Martin Baumhoff
Affiliation:
University of California, Davis, California
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This paper describes and demonstrates an improved statistical method for determining chronological sequences among archaeological sites. The method, derived from a system of measurement called contextual analysis, depends on the pattern of artifact types present and absent at each site rather than on the relative frequency of occurrence of types. The process of contextual analysis is presented in sufficient detail to provide a guide for other studies.

For purposes of demonstration, the chronology of 16 central California burial sites, originally analyzed by Heizer, Fenenga, Lillard and others, and subsequently re-examined by Belous, was again reworked. The results showed an extremely high measure of agreement with Heizer's chronology, a rank order correlation coefficient of .96 being obtained. This high agreement is taken as evidence not only that a purely statistical method of establishing dependable sequences is possible, but also that contextual analysis is a sufficiently sensitive technique to solve the archaeological problem.

Type
Research Article
Information
American Antiquity , Volume 28 , Issue 4 , April 1963 , pp. 496 - 509
Copyright
copyright © The Society for American Archaeology 1963

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Belous, R. E. 1953 The Central California Chronological Sequence Re-examined. American Antiquity, Vol. 18, No. 4, pp. 341–53. Salt Lake City.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brainerd, G. W. 1951 The Place of Chronological Ordering in Archaeological Analysis. American Antiquity, Vol. 16, No. 4, pp. 301–13. Salt Lake City.Google Scholar
Dempsey, P. 1962 Liberal-Conservatism and Party Loyalty in the U.S. Senate. Journal of Social Psychology, Vol. 56, pp. 159–70. Provincetown.Google Scholar
Dixon, K. 1956 Archeological Objectives and Artifact Sorting Techniques: A Re-examination of the Snaketown Sequence. Western Anthropology, No. 3. n.p.Google Scholar
Guttman, L. 1950 Chapters 2, 3, 5, 8, 9, in Measurement and Prediction by Samuel A. Stouffer and others. Princeton University Press, Princeton.Google Scholar
Heizer, R. F. 1949 The Archeology of Central California 1: The Early Horizon. University of California Anthropological Records, Vol. 12, No. 1. University of California Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles.Google Scholar
Lillard, J. B., Heizer, R. F., and Fenenga, F. 1939 An Introduction to the Archeology of Central California. Sacramento Junior College, Department of Anthropology, Bulletin 2. Sacramento.Google Scholar
Robinson, W. S. 1951 A Method for Chronologically Ordering Archaeological Deposits. American Antiquity, Vol. 16, No. 4, pp. 293–301. Salt Lake City.Google Scholar
Spaulding, A. C. 1953 Statistical Techniques for the Discovery of Artifact Types. American Antiquity, Vol. 18, No. 4, pp. 305–13. Salt Lake City.Google Scholar
Thurstone, L. L. 1947 Multiple Factor Analysis. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.Google Scholar