Question

Archaeologists plan to examine a sample of two-meter-square plots near an ancient Greek city for artifacts visible in the ground. They choose separate samples of plots from floodplain, coast, foothills, and high hills. What kind of sample is this?

Answer 1

The archaeological sampling method described is a stratified sample, important for gaining a comprehensive understanding of a site in different environmental contexts.

Step-by-step explanation:

The type of sample described by the student is a stratified sample, where archaeologists have divided the sample areas by different geographical features: floodplain, coast, foothills, and high hills.

This method allows an archaeological excavation to be more representative of the diverse locations surrounding the ancient Greek city and can provide insights into how the environment may have influenced human activity in different areas.

In archaeology, utilizing a stratified sample is beneficial for ensuring that a variety of contexts and environmental conditions are examined to yield a comprehensive understanding of the site in question.