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Archaeological phase and phasing refers to the logical reduction of contexts recorded during excavation to near contemporary archaeological horizons that represent a distinct "phase" of previous land use. These often but not always will be a representation of a former land surface or occupation level and all associated features that were created into or from this point in time. A simplified description of phase would be that" a phase is a view of a given Archaeological site as it would have been at time X". examples of phases that would have no associated occupation surfaces are phases of a site that have been horizontally truncated by later phases and only elements surviving of the truncated phase are those that were below ground level and the subsequent truncation at that time. Subsequent or earlier Phases are representations in changing occupation patterns and land use use over time. Phase is an extremely important concept in Archeological excavation and post excavation work. Phasing is achieved by compiling smaller groups of contexts together through the use of stratification and stratigraphic excavation into ever larger units of understanding. the terminology of these sub units or collections of contexts varies depending on practitioner but the terms; interface, sub-group, group, and feature are common. Phasing a site has a slightly different meaning to "digging in phase".Digging in phase is the process of stratigraphic removal of archaeological remains so as not to remove contexts that are earlier in time lower in the sequence before other contexts that have a latter physical stratigraphic relationship to them. Digging a site "in phase" is considered good practice and can be thought of as the process of removing the deposits on site in the reverse order they arrived. Phasing is achieved on site by many methods including intuition and experience but the main analytical tool post excavation is the Harris matrix. Phase is sometimes termed differently depending on practitioner, examples include the term period but in the main phase is universal. In archaeology, not only the context (physical location) of a discovery a significant fact but the formation of the context is as well. ...
Excavation is the best-known and most commonly used technique within the science of archaeology. ...
In Archaeology, the term horizon is used in more than one way; the less rigourously defined ones being more likely to be met in conversation rather than in a professional report. ...
Association in archaeology refers to a close relationship between two or more objects. ...
An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or historic or contemporary), and which has been investigated using the discipline of archaeology. ...
Excavation is the best-known and most commonly used technique within the science of archaeology. ...
In archaeology once the archaeological record of given site has been excavated, or collected from surface surveys, it is necessary to gain as much data as possible and organize it into a coherent body of information. ...
Stratification is the building up of layers of deposits, and can have several variations of meaning: Social stratification, is the dividing of a society into levels based on wealth or power. ...
Excavation is the best-known and most commonly used technique within the science of archaeology. ...
The Harris Matrix or Harris-Winchester Matrix is a method of recording and interpreting archaeological sites. ...
Phase, component and focus A less rigorous term phase is sometimes used to denote a wider period represented by the contexts that lie stratigraphically between two Archaeological horizons representing the start and end of a particular culture typology. Sometimes the term focus or component is used for such a grouping of stratigraphy. An example of this use of Phase would be all the contexts between two horizons may represent the entirety of all Saxon occupation on a given site and could be termed as the saxon phase of the site. Note however this block of stratigraphy may have many phases with in it as defined by the more rigorous definition of phase. In Archaeology, the term horizon is used in more than one way; the less rigourously defined ones being more likely to be met in conversation rather than in a professional report. ...
See also In archaeology, not only the context (physical location) of a discovery a significant fact but the formation of the context is as well. ...
Association in archaeology refers to a close relationship between two or more objects. ...
Half-section through a Saxon pit In archaeology a section is a view of an excavated archaeological trench or feature showing the contents of that feature in two dimensions (vertical and horizontal) and thereby illustrating its profile and stratigraphy. ...
In archaeology, the term feature is generally used to refer to any nonportable remnant of human activity, such as a hearth, road, or house remains, later found or recovered by some archaeological endeavor. ...
The Harris Matrix or Harris-Winchester Matrix is a method of recording and interpreting archaeological sites. ...
Half-section through a Saxon pit In archaeology a section is a view of an excavated archaeological trench or feature showing the contents of that feature in two dimensions (vertical and horizontal) and thereby illustrating its profile and stratigraphy. ...
Excavation is the best-known and most commonly used technique within the science of archaeology. ...
References - Principles of Archaeological Stratigraphy. 40 figs. 1 pl. 136 pp. London & New York: Academic Press. ISBN 0-12-326650-3
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