Methods for the Descriptive Analysis of Archaeological Material

Title: Methods for the Descriptive Analysis of Archaeological Material
Creator(s): Gardin, J. C.
Date: 1967
Is Part Of: American Antiquity
Volume: 32
Issue: 1
Pages: 13-30
Language: eng
ISSN: 0002-7316, 2325-5064
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/278775
URI: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/american-antiquity/article/abs/methods-for-the-descriptive-analysis-of-archaeological-material/68B602467655AF34537E13EB966BEB0C
Zotero BiDiAr: https://www.zotero.org/groups/5293298/bidiar/items/AHDAYX43item-list
Abstract: Most studies on the use of punched cards and computers in archaeology seem to take for granted that scientific standards exist to express the data upon which algorithms are to be performed, for retrieval or classification purposes. The author's view is different; examples are given of descriptive codes which have been designed under his direction since 1955 for the storage of archaeological data (artifacts, abstract or figured representations, buildings, etc.) on punched cards of various kinds (marginal, peek-a-boo, IBM, etc.). In order to obviate the shortcomings of natural language, three categories of rules are required: orientation, segmentation, differentiation. The concluding remarks concern the relation of the descriptive languages which are thus obtained to scientific language in general; differences are stressed, as well as reasons for postulating a continuum from the former to the latter.

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