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Artifact Size and Lateral Displacement under Tillage: Comments on the Odell and Cowan Experiment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Robert C. Dunnell*
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology DH-05, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195

Abstract

Odell and Cowan's (1987) experimental study largely confirms and extends results obtained by Lewarch and O'Brien (1981) on the effects of tillage on artifact distributions in the plow zone. In contrast to earlier studies, however, they find no relation between artifact size and lateral-displacement distance. The lack of relation between these two variables may be a consequence of defects in experimental design and analysis and should be considered suspect until better controlled data are available.

Résumé

Résumé

El estudio experimental de Odell y Cowan (1987) confirma largamente y extiende los resultados obtenidos por Lewarch y O'Brien (1981) acerca de los efectos del arado en la distributión de artefactos encontrados en zonas de labranza. En contraste con estudios previos, sin embargo, ellos no hallan ninguna relación entre el tamaño del artefacto y la distancia de desplazamiento lateral. La falta de relación entre estas dos variables es una consecuencia de defectos en el diseño experimental y en el análisis, y debería ser considerada sospechosa hasta que se disponga de datos controlados más estrictamente.

Type
Comments
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for American Archaeology 1990 

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References

References Cited

Dunnell, R. C, and SADancey, W. 1983 The Siteless Survey: A Regional Scale Data Collection Strategy. In Advances in Archaeological Method and Theory, vol. 7, edited by Schiffer, M. B., pp. 267-287. Academic Press, New York.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 M. J. O' Brien and Lewarch, D. E., pp. 7-49. Publications in Anthropology No. 27. Vanderbuilt University, Nashville.Google Scholar
Odell, G. H., and Cowan, F. 1987 Estimating Tillage Effects on Artifact Distributions. American Antiquity 52: 456-484.Google Scholar
Trubowitz, N. L. 1978 The Persistence of Settlement Patterns in a Cultivated Field. In Essays in Northeastern Anthropology in Memory of Marian E. White, edited by Engelbrecht, W. E. and Grayson, D. K., pp. 41-66. Occasional Publications in Northeastern Anthropology No. 5. Department of Anthropology, Franklin Pierce College, Rindge, New Hampshire.Google Scholar