Innovative archaeological survey reveals unknown aspects of China's past

Eurekalert ^ | Monday, March 3, 2008 | Greg Borzo, Field Museum

[SunkenCiv]

Although still relatively unknown to the general public, an archaeological method that is being practiced at several locations around the world helps scientists overcome such bias toward large, readily noticeable sites. The method is called a regional settlement pattern survey. It involves walking systematically over a large landscape to find traces of archaeological sites on the surface of the ground. This field procedure can yield a holistic, integrated view of how settlement has shifted in a region over the course of history.

[SunkenCiv]

Scientists walk through tea fields in southeastern Shandong as part of an innovative settlement pattern regional survey that uncovered important new evidence about how this region of China developed. This photograph was taken in 2006, and the team has completed 13 years of survey to date, making it one of the longest running collaborations of any kind between Chinese and American scientists. On the right, Linda Nicholas, Adjunct Curator of Anthropology at The Field Museum, carries a map on which she marks the distribution of the prehistoric and Early Bronze Age sherds found during the survey. Photo by Anne Underhill, courtesy of The Field Museum

[SunkenCiv]

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[Hegemony Cricket]

“Walking around” - cutting edge technology, right there...

:-)

[SunkenCiv]

Sure, but they’re wearing cutting-edge Chinese footwear — sandals made out of old tyres...