The problem of undersampling for models of archaeological occupations derived from shovel testing and its consequences for significance determinations

Abstract

Archaeologists working in the Eastern United States routinely employ shovel testing as a method for site discovery and delineation in areas of dense ground cover, and as a means of collecting information on the kinds and numbers of artifacts and features present at a site. This sampling strategy is employed in the context of Section 106 compliance, as well as in academic research. This paper presents findings on the relationship between shovel-testing strategies and the accuracy and usefulness of the models of archaeological occupations that result from the information collected during shovel testing. These results demonstrate that some common approaches to shovel testing lead to faulty models that fail to accurately represent important occupational variables, thus compromising our ability to make valid significance determinations.