A practical computational approach to stratigraphic analysis using conjoinable material culture

Abstract

This paper describes a novel method to assess the integrity and amount of mixing between excavation layers. The method, termed the TSAR approach (Topological Study of Archaeological Refitting), uses network typologies and edge metrics to assess the level of cohesion and admixture between two layers. The nodes (artifacts) are connected based on object refitting and adjusts for sample size. The utility of this method compared to other approaches is tested using simulated data and excavation data. The author created a package in the R programming language to facilitate the method