The Processes by Which Archaeological Sites Form

Abstract

Which of the materials recovered from archaeological sites represent human behavior and which do not? How were these materials altered over time? Are the materials representative of those present in the environment when the site formed? Which represent local communities and which are from distant locations? What were the processes by which the archaeological assemblage formed? These are just a few of the questions asked during an archaeological study, and the answers define many of the relationships among environments and cultures embedded in the archaeological record.