The Archaeological Potential of Secondary Contexts

Module 8 - Outline of Research

Module 8 assesses the potential of the secondary context archaeological resource for the reconstruction of early prehistoric human behaviour, with respect to extant specific and generic archaeological questions. The assessment emphasises:

1. The geo-chronological resolution of the archaeological resource and the relative importance of sedimentary, artefactual and palaeo-environmental data.

2. The spatial resolution of the archaeological resource, the relative importance of sedimentary and artefactual data, and the role of experimental archaeology and modern analogues.

3. The analytical frameworks associated with the secondary context archaeological research, and their applicability to extant research questions and the varying spatio-temporal scales of hominid behaviour.

4. The value of the secondary context archaeological resource, with specific reference to the range of available data and their spatio-temporal scales, their relevance to current research themes, and the current state of geoarchaeological methodologies.

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