ABSTRACT
Chapter 9 is concerned with the relationship between the archaeological record of the
past-a static phenomenon-and the present. We discuss the complex site formation
processes that act on a site from the moment that it’s abandoned. Preservation condi-
tions, especially of inorganic finds such as wood and textiles, vary greatly under differ-
ent conditions. We describe some notable finds that result from exceptionally cold, dry,
and wet conditions, among them the tomb of the Pharaoh Tutankhamun and Tollund
Man. A body of archaeological theory known as middle-range theory attempts to link
the archaeological record with the present. We describe ethnographic analogy, ethno-
archaeology, and experimental archaeology, which are three approaches that seek to
interpret the archaeological record of the past in the context of the present.
