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Comparative Archaeology Database, University of Pittsburgh
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Upper Térraba Regional Dataset |
The data files CERAMICPERIOD.TXT and CERAMICPERIOD.XLS provide a breakdown of ceramic counts by period and associated sherd densities for every surface collection or shovel test prove carried out within the survey area. CERAMICPERIOD.TXT is an ASCII text file; CERAMICPERIOD.XLS contains the same data in the form of an Excel spreadsheet. Each line represents either one shovel test probe or one systematic surface collection rectangle. There are 1344 lines in the text file, each with 31 variables separated by commas. The variables are, in the following order:
1 |
Lot number. Refers to an area of approximately ¼ of hectare where one or more samples of archaeological material were collected. |
2 |
Bag. Identification number of an independent sample collected in a lot. |
3 |
Total number of sherds. |
4 |
Total Sinacrá Period sherds. |
5 |
If surface collection: Sherds/m². The total number of sherds of this period (variable 4) divided by the surface area of the collection rectangle (calculated from the Collection Information page). |
6 |
Area-Density Index. Sherds/m² (variable 5) multiplied by the lot area (variable 7). |
7 |
Lot area (hectares). |
8 |
Decorated. |
9 |
Undecorated. |
10 |
Total Quebradas Period sherds. |
11 |
If shovel probe: Sherds/m³. |
12 |
If shovel probe: Estimated surface density calculated from sherds/m³. This variable is the result of a linear regresion between sherds/m² for surface collections and sherds/m³ for shovel test probes at locations where both values were collected. The final value is in sherds/m². |
13 |
If surface collection: Sherds/m². The total number of sherds of this period (variable 10) divided by the surface area of the collection rectangle (calculated from the Collection Information page). |
14 |
Area-Density Index. If surface collection: Sherds/m² (variable 13) multiplied by the lot area (variable 15). If shovel test probe: Estimated surface density (variable 12) multiplied by the lot area (variable 15). |
15 |
Lot area (hectares). |
16 |
Decorated. |
17 |
Undecorated. |
18 |
Total Aguas Buenas Period sherds. |
19 |
If shovel probe: Sherds/m³. |
20 |
If shovel probe: Estimated surface density calculated from sherds/m³. This variable is the result of a linear regresion between sherds/m² for surface collections and sherds/m³ for shovel test probes at locations where both values were collected. The final value is in sherds/m². |
21 |
If surface collection: Sherds/m². The total number of sherds of this period (variable 18) divided by the surface area of the collection rectangle (calculated from the Collection Information page). |
22 |
Area-Density Index. If surface collection: Sherds/m² (variable 21) multiplied by the lot area (variable 23). If shovel test probe: Estimated surface density (variable 20) multiplied by the lot area (variable 23). |
23 |
Lot area (hectares). |
24 |
Decorated. |
25 |
Undecorated. |
26 |
Total Chiriquí Period sherds. |
27 |
If shovel probe: Sherds/m³. |
28 |
If shovel probe: Estimated surface density calculated from sherds/m³. This variable is the result of a linear regresion between sherds/m² for surface collections and sherds/m³ for shovel test probes at locations where both values were collected. The final value is in sherds/m². |
29 |
If surface collection: Sherds/m². The total number of sherds of this period (variable 26) divided by the surface area of the collection rectangle (calculated from the Collection Information page). |
30 |
Area-Density Index. If surface collection: Sherds/m² (variable 29) multiplied by the lot area (variable 31). If shovel test probe: Estimated surface density (variable 28) multiplied by the lot area (variable 31). |
31 |
Lot area (hectares). |
The first line of the ASCII text file, for example, looks like this:
1,1,104,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,4,100,104,,,5.20,1.29,0.2480
This indicates that the ceramics pertains to lot 1, bag (or surface collection) 1. This collection yielded a total of 104 sherds. There were no Sinancrá, Quebradas, or Aguas Buenas sherds. The collection did yield 4 decorated and 100 undecorated Chiriquí Period sherds, for a total of 104 Chiriquí sherds. Because this was a surface collection rectangle, the sherds/m² is 5.20 and a Chiriquí Period Area-Density Index of 1.29 was calculated by multiplying 5.20 sherds/m² by a lot area of 0.2480 Ha.
The last, or 1344th, line of the ASCII text file is:
1280,,1,,,,,1,,1,0.20,0.00,,0.00,0.0106,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
This indicates that the ceramics pertains to lot 1280, for which there was only one shovel test probe, hence no bag number is provided. This probe yielded only 1 sherd. There were no Sinancrá sherds. The only sherd was a decorated Quebradas Period sherd, for a total of 1 Quebradas sherd. Because this was a shovel test probe, the sherds/m³ is 0.20, which produced an estimated surface density of 0.00 sherds/m². A Quebradas Period Area-Density Index of 0.00 was calculated by multiplying 0.00 sherds/m² by a lot area of 0.0106 Ha. There were no Aguas Buenas or Chiriquí sherds.
Click here to download the file CERAMICPERIOD.TXT (73 KB) or the file CERAMICPERIOD.XLS (193 KB).