Probability and Testing Statistical Hypotheses

Abstract

Although many archaeologists today would say that they are not testing hypotheses or using statistical inference, it remains true that all archaeologists want to present plausible hypotheses based on patterns they identify, and that they typically search for these patterns in samples of some larger population. To make these hypotheses plausible, we at least have to show that the patterns are not due to the vagaries of chance, and tests of statistical models are the way to do this.