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Quality Assurance in Archaeological Survey
E B Banning1, Alicia L Hawkins2, S T Stewart3
1Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, 19 Russell St., Toronto, ON M5S 2S2 Canada.
Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory
|December 22, 2017
Summary
Ensuring archaeological survey quality requires robust methods. This study demonstrates how Quality Assurance (QA) and empirical techniques, like resurvey and coverage estimation, improve artifact discovery effectiveness and reliability.
Area of Science:
- Archaeological Science
- Heritage Management
- Survey Methodology
Background:
- Archaeological survey results must be reliable for heritage management and research.
- Assessing survey effectiveness is crucial for ensuring data quality.
- Current methods may lack explicit measures of thoroughness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To discuss Quality Assurance (QA) approaches for archaeological surveys.
- To present empirical methods for estimating survey effectiveness in artifact discovery.
- To provide a framework for ensuring archaeological survey quality.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing Quality Assurance (QA) principles.
- Applying empirical methods to estimate survey effectiveness.
- Conducting resurveys and measuring surveyor "sweep widths".
- Estimating realistic survey coverage.
- Evaluating the probability of missing artifacts (pottery, lithics).
Main Results:
- Demonstrated explicit evaluation of survey effectiveness through resurvey and coverage analysis.
- Quantified the probability of missing archaeological artifacts.
- Provided criteria for determining when a survey unit is sufficiently covered.
Conclusions:
- Quality Assurance (QA) and empirical methods enhance confidence in archaeological survey results.
- Resurvey and coverage estimation are effective tools for assessing survey thoroughness.
- These methods ensure archaeological surveys meet necessary quality standards for research and heritage management.
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