Jensen's Farm: a study in replicated site surface collection
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Date
2014-01-02
Authors
Bradford, Sheila E.
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Abstract
In May-June 1978 and 1979 surface collections were undertaken
at Jensen's Farm, an early twentieth century homesteading
site twenty miles north of Dauphin, Manitoba, to
determine the extent to which the results obtained through
site surface collection could: 1) be replicated in terms of
the frequencies and spatial distributions of artifact classes
recovered, and 2) consistently isolate the location,
size, shape, and function of the original features known to
have existed at Jensen's Farm. Frequency tables, chi-square,
and SAS-produced artifact plots were used in conjunction
with scale drawings of Jensen's Farm to assess the
results obtained. The results suggest that, even on a highly disturbed site such as Jensen's Farm, it is possible to
replicate the general rank-order of artifact classes recovered
and the general patterns and dispersions of artifacts
plotted. Acceptable ranges of variation, rather than results
of no significant statistical difference, should be
expected given the indeterminate nature of intervening factors
and the basic incomparability of artifact fragments as
comparative units. Correspondence to the original Jensen's
Farm features proved to be a partial one in terms of both
the artifact content recovered and the spatial distributions
plotted. Based on the results obtained here, it is advocated
that surface collection be conducted wherever irreversible
resource management decisions are to be made or where
time and funding permit the luxury.
Description
Keywords
Artifacts, Surface collection