Residuality Revisited

Abstract

Residuality has long been recognized as a problem for those interpreting archaeological assemblages, in particular those from urban excavations. This paper explores residuality through the examination of quantified pottery assemblages from a number of British sites. The causes of variation in the level of residualiry at particular sites are discussed and general conclusions are drawn about the importance of the different factors isolated.

The triangular model as an instrument for visualising and analysing residuality

“…The most acute overview and discussion of different ways of representing residuality may be found in a study of Evans and Millett (1992). It is here not the place to re-enter the discussion since their conclusions are still valid.…”

“…Evans and Millett, 1992;Millett, 1987;Orton and Orton, 1975). In 1996, it has even been the subject of an international round table in Rome (Guidobaldi et al, 1998).…”

Defining bone movement in archaeological stratigraphy: a plea for clarity

“…This of course applies to all types of archaeological finds, rather than just animal bones. The issue has received some occasional attention in the archaeobotanical literature (Green and Lockyear 1993) and more substantially so in ceramic studies (Evans and Millett 1992;Vince 1995). The latter is not surprising, as artefacts that can be more easily dated than bones, such as pottery, are more likely to be spotted when found in the 'wrong' stratigraphic phase.…”

“…In fact even radiocarbon dating can only help if the archaeological phases in question are sufficiently chronologically distinct for that difference to be identified by such a technique. The use of parallel evidence from commingled artefacts, such as pottery, can be useful, but it has its own problems (Evans and Millett 1992), such as the assumption that the degree of bone and pottery accumulation in different phases is consistently proportional. A full solution is unlikely to be ever found, but a mitigation of the problem will probably need to rely on the investigation of multiple lines of evidence, including artefacts, soils, taphonomic patterns, direct dating and the bones themselves.…”

Roman Finds Assemblages, Towards an Integrated Approach?

“…Volume of excavated earth figures do exist for a Norman to post-medieval sequence from the Orange Grove excavations in Bath (O'Leary 1981; Evans and Millett 1992). ary and Roman and medieval residual sherds in the post-medieval part of the sequence.…”