Final answer:
Material culture refers to physical objects created and used by past societies. A midden is a deposit of discarded waste at an archaeological site. A soil mark is a visible change in soil indicating buried archaeological features. Relative dating compares objects to determine their age, while absolute dating assigns calendar dates using scientific techniques.
Step-by-step explanation:
a) Material culture: Material culture refers to the physical objects and artifacts that are created, used, and left behind by past societies. These objects can include tools, pottery, weapons, clothing, and artwork, among other things. Material culture provides important insights into the beliefs, practices, and everyday lives of people in the past.
b) Midden: A midden is a deposit of discarded and accumulated waste, often found at archaeological sites. It can contain a variety of items such as food remains, bones, shells, pottery fragments, and other debris. Middens can provide valuable information about the diet, lifestyle, and activities of the people who created them.
c) Soil mark: A soil mark is a visible change in the color or composition of the soil that indicates the presence of buried archaeological features. These features can include walls, ditches, and other man-made structures. Soil marks can help archaeologists identify and map the layout of ancient settlements and other sites.
d) Relative date: Relative dating is a method of determining the age of artifacts or archaeological sites based on their relationships to other objects or features. It involves comparing the sequence of events or the relative stratigraphic position of different layers in the soil. Relative dating can provide a general chronological framework, but it does not give specific calendar dates.
e) Absolute/chronometric date: Absolute or chronometric dating methods are used to assign actual calendar dates to archaeological artifacts or sites. These methods often rely on scientific techniques such as radiocarbon dating, dendrochronology, or thermoluminescence dating. Absolute dating provides more precise and accurate dates compared to relative dating methods.