Integrating the Paleoresearch Institute as a Partner in Research
Most archaeological projects proceed from excavation, to artifact clean-up and cataloging, to analysis and write-up. Samples collected for specialist analysis are usually the last things to be addressed, and usually just prior to the write-up stage. Specialist analyses are less often relegated to appendices in the back of the final report than in the past, but it is still a common occurrence. They are sometimes still not well integrated into the overall results of the project. At the PaleoResearch Institute we think that this sort of archaeological program went out with excavating in ten foot squares or not screening cultural deposits. There are simply too many opportunities for synergistic interpretations that are “left on the table” when the results from specialists are not fully integrated into the final reports.
By integrating the personal from the PaleoResearch Institute during the preparation of your research design we can help you maximize the results of your project. By incorporating us during the preparation of your project research design we will help you develop a sampling design, discuss appropriate methods of field recording, sample collection, and discuss analytical techniques to better address your research questions and still keep within your budget and time constraints. We will also make sure that the different types of analyses we conduct are presented in a clear and understandable manner that can be incorporated into your final results.
Sampling Designs:
Going from Research Design to Sampling Design is not always as intuitive as it appears. It is critical to be certain that samples collected in the field are appropriate for addressing the stated Research Design for a project. The easiest way to do this is to communicate with the experienced staff at Paleo Research Institute. Some of the questions that we come across regularly have already been addressed in our Sampling Manual, which is posted on our website for you to download, print, and take into the field.
How we participate:
We are also prepared to participate directly in the archaeological field effort. We can collect samples in the field and provide you with rapid turnaround for analysis to aid in the direction of your field effort. Such an effort might include: rapid-turnaround of radiocarbon dates, the collection multiple soil samples from a prehistoric house floor to identify activity areas, collecting stratigraphic samples from local sediments to provide information regarding past environments and climatic conditions, identifying potential sources of ceramic clay and temper through analysis of locally available resources, or stabilizing sections of a soil profile or house-floor for soil monolith-lifting for micromorphological analysis to understand the occupation or use-history of a feature or structure and interpret site formation processes.
Call us when you are planning your next excavation project. We can help you prepare a project research design that is innovative and stays within your budget. Members of our professional staff can also be present on your site to collect samples to provide a faster turnaround time and to make sure that significant or unusual archaeological materials and contexts are not missed or damaged. Analysis of ceramics and other cultural materials conducted at the PaleoResearch Institute will be of the highest quality available anywhere. As we will be handling a portion of the analysis of your artifacts and samples, you can be assured that your results will represent a well-integrated “state-of-the-art” set of documents that will be completed on time and within your budget. As an archaeologist you will have time to concentrate on the “big picture” and not have to be concerned about the details.
We spend time in the laboratory so that you don’t have to. We also synthesize and integrate the interpretations from all of the analyses that we conduct for you, making integration of our report into into your report or volume much easier.