Glossary of Terms

ALL A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Cultural Resource Management:  (CRM) Sometimes referred to as Contract Archaeology, this type of archaeological research is mandated by state and federal legislation for the purposes of protecting and managing archaeological heritage for later generations, e.g. CRM is conducted prior to the construction of highway and utilities. 

Radiocarbon Dating:  An absolute dating method that measures the constant rate of a tiny bit of radioactive decay found in all organic materials using the carbon isotope 14C. 

Reconnaissance Survey:  A range of methods that archaeologists use to locate archaeological sites, this can be as sophisticate as using satellite imagery to as simple as walking around looking for artifacts. 

Relative Dating:  A method of determining the age of an object in relation to other objects; e.g. when excavating a site, the older artifacts are found in deeper soil deposits, whereas younger artifacts are found closer to the surface.