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Chapter 3: Preliminary Work
Over the past quarter-century or so since Bordes' research at Pech IV, there have been many changes in archaeology ranging from the types of research questions we pose about the past to how we go about digging a site. (Read more about excavation techniques) We recognized that no one had ever fully studied the stone artifact collections from Bordes' excavations in the 1970s. Neither had anyone read through the extensive field notes that excavators kept as they dug at the site. Among other things, these notes recorded the spatial positioning of each stone artifact and animal bone larger than 2.5 centimeters. (Read more about spatial positioning) Using computer mapping software we can database all these spatial coordinates and create a picture of where each piece came from in the site. This is a very powerful tool, because it allows us to quickly examine cultural materials for patterning within and between the different sediment layers. 
When we combine the information gained from these types of maps with where specific types of stone artifacts or animal bone are located, we can better understand the natural and cultural processes that led to the formation of the site at Pech IV.
Next Chapter: The Mousterian at Pech >>
• 1. Overview
• 2. Background
• 3. Preliminary Work
• 4. The Mousterian at Pech
• 5. The Living Floors
• 6. The XYZ Layers
• 7. The Asinipodian at Pech
• 8. Conclusions