Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-gb8f7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-01T08:54:51.522Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Estimating Tillage Effects on Artifact Distributions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

George H. Odell  and
Frank Cowan
George H. Odell
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK 74104
Frank Cowan
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, SUNY Buffalo, 479 Spaulding, Building 4, Buffalo, NY 14261
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Although behavioralists who deal with plow zone sites have a need to discriminate between cultural and non-cultural effects on artifact distributions, relatively little is known about the influences of agricultural equipment. A series of experiments was conducted to answer questions concerning the parameters of recovery, lateral artifact displacement, spatial patterning, duration of tillage, and the effects of tillage patterning. Results indicate an average recovery rate of 5-6 percent; support for the "size effect"; relatively constant recovery of small and large pieces; dominant displacement in the direction of plowing; lack of relationship between displacement and artifact size; basically random distribution of objects; and possible spurious clustering, depending upon the analytical methods employed.

Type
Articles
Information
American Antiquity , Volume 52 , Issue 3 , July 1987 , pp. 456 - 484
Copyright
Copyright © Society for American Archaeology 1987

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

References Cited

Ahler, S., Muller, J., and Rabinowitz, J. 1980 Archaeological Testing for the Smithland Pool, Illinois. Research Paper No. 13. Center for Archaeological Investigations, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.Google Scholar
Ammerman, A. J. 1985 Plow-Zone Experiments in Cantabria, Italy. Journal of Field Archaeology 12 : 33–40.Google Scholar
Ammerman, A. J., and Feldman, M. W. 1978 Replicated Collection of Site Surfaces. American Antiquity 43 : 734–740.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baker, C. 1978 The Size Effect : An Explanation of Variability in Surface Artifact Assemblage Content. American Antiquity 43 : 288–293.Google Scholar
Baker, C. M., and Schiffer, M. B. 1975 Archaeological Evidence for the Size Effect. In Arkansas Eastman Archaeological Project, edited by Baker, C. M., pp. 117–122. Research Report No. 6. Arkansas Archaeological Survey, Fayetteville.Google Scholar
Binford, L. R. 1978 Dimensional Analysis of Behavior and Site Structure : Learning from an Eskimo Hunting Stand. American Antiquity 43 : 330–361.Google Scholar
Blalock, H. M. Jr., 1972 Social Statistics. 2nd ed. McGraw-Hill, New York.Google Scholar
Brinch Petersen, E. 1971 Svaerdborg II. A Maglemose Hut from Svaerdborg Bog, Zealand, Denmark. Acta Archaeologica 42 : 43–77.Google Scholar
Brose, D. L., and Scarry, J. F. 1976 The Boston Ledges Shelter : Comparative Spatial Analysis of Early Late Woodland Occupations in Summit County, Ohio. Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology 1 : 179–228.Google Scholar
Brown, M. K. (editor) 1981 Predictive Models in Illinois Archaeology : Report Summaries. Illinois Department of Conservation, Division of Historic Sites, Springfield.Google Scholar
Carr, C. 1984 The Nature of Organization of Intrasite Archaeological Records and Spatial Analytic Approaches to Their Investigation. In Advances in Archaeological Method and Theory, vol. 7, edited by Schiffer, M. B., pp. 103–222. Academic Press, New York.Google Scholar
Clark, P. J., and Evans, F. C. 1954 Distance to Nearest Neighbor as a Measure of Spatial Relationships in Populations. Ecology 35 : 445–453.Google Scholar
Dacey, M. F. 1973 Statistical Tests of Spatial Association in the Locations of Tool Types. American Antiquity 38 : 320–328.Google Scholar
Fladmark, K. R. 1982 Microdebitage Analysis : Initial Considerations. Journal of Archaeological Science 9 : 205–220.Google Scholar
Ford, J. L., and Rolingson, M. A. 1972 Site Destruction Due to Agricultural Practices in Southeast Arkansas. Research Series 3. Arkansas Archaeological Survey, Fayetteville.Google Scholar
Frink, D. S. 1984 Artifact Behavior within the Plow Zone. Journal of Field Archaeology 11 : 356–363.Google Scholar
Getis, A. 1964 Temporal Land-use Pattern Analysis with the Use of Nearest Neighbor and Quadrat Methods. Annals of the Association of American Geographers 54 : 391–399.Google Scholar
Hodder, I., and Orton, C. 1976 Spatial Analysis in Archaeology. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.Google Scholar
Hoffman, C. 1982 Plow Zones and Predictability : Sesquinary Context in New England Prehistoric Sites. North American Archaeologist 3 : 287–309.Google Scholar
Jermann, J. V. 1981 Surface Collection and Analysis of Spatial Pattern : An Archaeological Example from the Lower Columbia River Valley. In Plowzone Archaeology : Contributions to Theory and Technique, edited by O'Brien, M. J. and Lewarch, D. E., pp. 71–118. Publications in Anthropology No. 27. Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee.Google Scholar
Keeley, L. H. 1984 Archaeological Experiments as Arguments. Paper presented at 49th Annual Meeting of Society for American Archaeology, Portland.Google Scholar
Knoerl, J. J., and Versaggi, N. 1984 Plow Zone Sites : Research Strategies and Management Policy. American Archeology 4 : 76–80.Google Scholar
Kouwenhoven, J. K., and Terpstra, R. 1979 Sorting Action of Tines and Tine-like Tools in the Field. Journal of Agricultural Engineering Research 24 : 95–113.Google Scholar
Leroi-Gourhan, A., and Brezillon, M. 1966 L'habitation Magdalenienne no. 1 de Pincevent pres Montereau (Seine-et-Marne). Gallia Prehistoire 9 : 263–385.Google Scholar
Leroi-Gourhan, A., and Brezillon, M. 1972 Fouilles de Pincevent : Essai d'analyse ethnographique d'un habitat magdalenien (la section 36). VII e supplement a Gallia Prehistoire. Google Scholar
Lewarch, D. E. 1979 Effects of Tillage on Artifact Patterning : A Preliminary Assessment. In Cannon Reservoir Human Ecology Project—A Regional Approach to Cultural Continuity and Change, edited by O'Brien, M. J. and Warren, R. E., pp. 101–149. Technical Report 79-14. Division of Archaeological Research, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.Google Scholar
Lewarch, D. E., and O' Brien, M. J. 1981 Effect of Short-term Tillage on Aggregate Provenience Surface Pattern. In Plowzone Archaeology : Contributions to Theory and Technique, edited by O'Brien, M. J. and Lewarch, D. E., pp. 7–49. Publications in Anthropology No. 27. Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee.Google Scholar
McCollough, M. C. R., and Faulkner, C. H. (editors) 1976 Third Report of the Normandy Reservoir Salvage Project. Report of Investigations No. 16. Department of Anthropology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville.Google Scholar
McManamon, F. P. 1984 The Integrity of Plowzone Sites. American Archeology 4 : 70–76.Google Scholar
Medford, L. D. 1972 Site Destruction Due to Agricultural Practice in Northeast Arkansas. Research Series 3. Arkansas Archaeological Survey, Fayetteville.Google Scholar
Miskell, T., and Warren, R. E. 1979 Preliminary Results of Intensive Surface Collections. In Cannon Reservoir Human Ecology Project— A Regional Approach to Cultural Continuity and Change, edited by O'Brien, M. J. and Warren, R. E., pp. 151–176. Technical Report 79-14. Division of Archaeological Research, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.Google Scholar
Munson, P. J., and Ham, A. D. 1966 Surface Collections from Three Sites in the Central Illinois River Valley. Wisconsin Archaeologist 47 : 150–168.Google Scholar
Munson, P. J., and Ham, A. D. 1971 An Archaeological Survey of the American Bottoms and Wood River Terrace. Report of Investigations No. 21. Illinois State Museum, Springfield.Google Scholar
Nichols, M. L., and Reed, I. F. 1934 Soil Dynamics : VI, Physical Reactions of Soils to Moldboard Surfaces. Agricultural Engineering 15 : 187–190.Google Scholar
Pielou, E. C. 1961 Segregation and Symmetry in Two Species Populations as Studied by Nearest Neighbor Methods. Journal of Ecology 49 : 255–269.Google Scholar
Pinder, D., Shimada, I., and Gregory, D. 1979 The Nearest Neighbor Statistic : Archaeological Application and New Developments. American Antiquity 44 : 430–445.Google Scholar
Pinder, D. A., and Wetherick, M. E. 1972 The Principles, Practice and Pitfalls of Nearest-neighbor Analysis. Geography 57 : 277–288.Google Scholar
Price, T. D. 1978 The Spatial Analysis of Lithic Artifact Distribution and Association on Prehistoric Occupation Floors. In Lithics and Subsistence : The Analysis of Stone Tool Use in Prehistoric Economies, edited by Davis, D. D., pp. 1–33. Publications in Anthropology No. 20. Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee.Google Scholar
Raab, L. M. 1979 The Impact of Contract Archaeology on Analysis of Surface Data : Prospects and Problems. Western Canadian Journal of Anthropology 8 : 106–113.Google Scholar
Raney, W. A., and Zingg, A. W. 1957 Principles of Tillage. In Yearbook of Agriculture—1957, pp. 277–281. U. S. Department of Agriculture.Google Scholar
Redman, C. L., and Watson, P. J. 1970 Systematic, Intensive Surface Collection. American Antiquity 35 : 279–291.Google Scholar
Reynolds, P. J. 1982 The Ploughzone. In Festschrift zum 100 jahrigen Bestehen der Abteilung fur Vorgeschichte, pp. 315–340. Naturhistorische Gesellschaft, Nurnberg.Google Scholar
Rigaud, J. -P. 1978 The Significance of Variability among Lithic Artifacts : A Specific Case from Southwestern France. Journal of Anthropological Research 34 : 299–310.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roper, D. C. 1976 Lateral Displacement of Artifacts Due to Plowing. American Antiquity 41 : 372–375.Google Scholar
Rowlett, R. M., and Robbins, M. C. 1982 Estimating Original Assemblage Content to Adjust for Post-depositional Vertical Artifact Movement. World Archaeology 14 : 73–83.Google Scholar
Sterud, E. L., McManamon, F. P., and Rose, M. 1978 The Identification of Activity Loci in Plough Zones : An Example from New York State. Man in the Northeast 15/16 : 94–117.Google Scholar
Stockton, E. D. 1973 Shaw's Creek Shelter : Human Displacement of Artifacts and Its Significance. Mankind 9 : 112–117.Google Scholar
Thompson, H. R. 1956 Distribution of Distance to n th Nearest Neighbor in a Population of Randomly Distributed Individuals. Ecology 37 : 391–394.Google Scholar
Trubowitz, N. L. 1978 The Persistence of Settlement Pattern in a Cultivated Field. In Essays in Northeastern Anthropology in Memory of Marian E. White, edited by Englebrecht, W. E. and Grayson, D. K., pp. 41–66. Occasional Publications in Northeastern Anthropology No. 5. Department of Anthropology, Franklin Pierce College, Rindoe, New Hampshire.Google Scholar
Trubowitz, N. L. 1978 Les Chasseurs de Meer. Dissertationes Archaeologicae Gandensis 18. DeTempel, Brugge.Google Scholar
Ward, H. T. 1980 The Spatial Analysis of the Plow Zone Artifact Distributions from Two Village Sites in North Carolina. Ph. D. dissertation, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. University Microfilms, Ann Arbor.Google Scholar
Washburn, D. K. 1974 Nearest Neighbor Analysis of Pueblo I—III Settlement Patterns along the Rio Puerco of the East, New Mexico. American Antiquity 39 : 315–335.Google Scholar
Whallon, R. 1974 Spatial Analysis of Occupation Floors II : The Application of Nearest Neighbor Analysis. American Antiquity 36 : 9–19.Google Scholar
Willey, G. R, and Sabloff, J. A. 1974 A History of American Archaeology. W. H. Freeman, San Francisco.Google Scholar