The role of the Dirty Digger is to learn about the physical process of archaeology, including tools and mapping/surveying techniques. Use the sites linked below to answer these questions specifically related to the Dirty Digger:

What kinds of tools are you going to use on any dig? Give specific names and descriptions of each tool. Use the glossary to help you.

How would you decide what kind of a tool to use on a specific dig?

How do archaeologists map sites? Use the glossary to help you define the following terms: absolute dating, back-dirt, back-filling, baseline, hand-level, mapping, plane-table mapping, reconnaissance survey, shovel-screening, site survey, survey area, survey site.

• Digging in the Dirt - This page (PDF)describes basic excavation techniques and tools.
• Archaeological Sampling Strategies - This site describes the different methods that archaeologists use to locate sites.
• Online Anthropology Glossary - Use this glossary to learn more about archaeology terms.