ABSTRACT
Before 1900, few sites were explored by removing
distinct layers and recording objects found
together in them. The exceptions were mainly
investigations of caves with early prehistoric occu-
pation by excavators with a background in geology
who were familiar with the concept of super-
imposed layers (strata) containing distinctive
fossils (fig. 3.2). Finding artefacts made by humans
together with bones of extinct animals was vital
for proving the depth of prehistoric time (chapter
1: 5). Historians and art-historians were more
interested in finding inscriptions, documents or
works of art; these could be recovered without
paying attention to the contexts in which they
were found. Other excavators aimed to discover
objects of commercial value to satisfy the demands
of collectors and museums, although some (such
as Belzoni) became increasingly interested in
revealing structures as well as finds. Impressive
ruins were uncovered in Egypt, the Near East and
Mesoamerica, but the best sculptures and objects
were removed to museums. This process of
Despite growing awareness of the geophysical fieldwork techniques described in chapter 2, excavation
is still widely perceived as the main purpose of archaeology (fig. 3.1). It incorporates two approaches
that frequently conflict: the exposure of vertical sequences of deposits that reflect the long-term occupation of a site, and the recovery of horizontal plans of individual features or particular periods of occupation. The most important development of the early twentieth century was improved
understanding of the vertical aspect, and the use of carefully placed trenches and vertical sections to reveal and record it. From the 1950s large open-area excavations – frequently conducted in ‘rescue’ circumstances – inspired new ways of understanding vertical relationships while shifting the main focus
from general sequences to specific actions and events.
