Lecture 19: Quadrant method of excavation and excavations at prehistoric sites

Added: 2026-05-13

[00:00:18]Welcome to the SE course an introduction to field archaeology method and practices. Today model number four method of archaeological excavation and today lecture is lecture number four quadrant method of excavation and excavations at prehistoric sites. So in continuation of excavation methods. Now today we are going to see the different method of archaeological excavations in prehistoric sites as well as symmetry known as megalytic burial sites. So let's start with the prehistoric excavations. So the prehistory is also known as a stone age. These are the sites situated in the various landscape of Indian subcontinent where the resources are available. This side are having a film deposit due to very limited usage of material culture by prehistoric man. So we don't have a much habitational deposit of prehistoric site except the Neolithic one. So therefore the deposit is very flimsy and it generally it's not visible over the ground. The area is also very limited is not extended like a halapan cities or the early historic cities and the area is very small of prehistoric sites and therefore the minute observation or exploration only revealed the remains of any prehistoric sites and this kind of prehistoric exploration as well as exploration is a very spec specific task need to be carried out by the prehistoric Archaeologists and the excavation of prehistoric sites is typically employs a combination of scientific and systematic method to understand accurate data recovery of prehistoric deposit. The site of prehistoric habitation site can be divided into multiple square. Due to the limited area of settlement, the squares are also very small. They can be measured 1 by 1 m, 2x2 m. If the site is somehow bigger then it goes to the 3x3 or 4x 5 m and the prehistoric sites in Indian subcontinent found majorly in two areas. One in a cave cave sites the natural caves rock shelters and the other are the open area sites. So we are going to see the open air sides first.

[00:02:56]So the excavations is of prehistoric site is very important to understand the uh vitals of prehistoric period because there is a no written record has been found and therefore the rigorous exploration need to be done the to identify the prehistoric settlement.

[00:03:20]This side situated on some on the uh top of the hills on the bank of the rivers or uh near the lakes or where the stones and the other resources are available and the uh habitation sites are generally giving the hint of the debit especially the tool debitage in form of small small tools and the bones the animal bones. stones some are charred or some are cuts. So such kind of activity if you found somewhere and the along with the stone tools so this area can be denotes as a prehistoric sites. The restoration of this site generally helped to reconstruct the lifestyle of previous prehistoric man. Also apart from his living habits, living style, the subsistence practices, the technology, its settlements, strategies and the environmental adaptation of the particular period can also be achieved through control excavation and the strategraphic study of prehistoric site.

[00:04:33]archaeologists can understand about the development and long-term human evolution.

[00:04:42]So what are the objective of prehistoric excavation? So the primary objective is to reconstruct the early human lifeway because the the material culture what we found in archaeological excavation are basically stone tools and the bones sometime bone tools as well. the potential material like wood and the other is not survived. So therefore based on this limited uh material cultural resources we are assume the preodic lifestyle. So therefore the minute detail of each and every object which was used or associated with the human being need to be studied systematically in this excavation.

[00:05:33]>> Excavation generally aim to identify settlement pattern and the activity zone where this man was settled why this area was chosen. what was the preferred resources available at that area or a few criteria the archaeologist studied. The archaeologist also seek to recover artifacts, ecoacts uh from the habitation deposit to reveal subsistence strategies, resource exploitation and the environmental condition of that period. The stratographic deposits help to establish cultural chronology if any and periods that tool are belonging.

[00:06:18]Sometimes only a single cultural habitation site has been found like the lower but sometimes the area was continued habitat by human from a longer period of time and such sites are also found in Indian subcontinent. So what kind of method we use in previous prehistoric excavation. So there are broadly two methods are used the horizontal excavation and the vertical excavation. Most prominently horizontal excavation is often used in archaeological excavation of prehistoric site. This horizontal excavation help us to expose the all area of prehistoric activity and that give us the clear understanding about the particular period. However, sometimes due to the posity of time, labor, money and other uh issues the vertical excavation too carried out to understand the cultural layer, strategraphy and the deposit in a quicker way. But generally the horizontal excavation is most preferably carried out in excavation of prehistoric sites. So this horizontal excavation uh in the prehistoric site is somehow differ or the urban cities. Here the grid uh system has been followed and the habitation area or the settlement area is divided into small small trenches.

[00:07:49]The small small grid system small small grids the small small grids are generally measures one by one meter or 2x2 meters because the area of the site is small and every detail need to be measured systematically. Therefore the area reduced to a very small square and within the square each item has been documented plotted and measured >> and the statraphic recording is also done. Though the habitation deposit is not much than a meter, sometimes only 10 cm, 20 cm. In that fancy deposit, the every minute uh change in soil, texture, color need to be recorded and the contextual observation of any artifacts found within the site is very important because the context shows that how the activity was spread spadilally in the settlement area. So this kind of excavation is really minute and micro in nature. The excavator also try to collect a few carbon sample or organic sample to help get the dates of the site. So this is the picture I I taken from the one of the excavation of prehistoric site. This area shows that this area is not more than uh 20 m in size and it is divided into various grids uh by thread and each grid has their own number and within the grid you can see the activity area of prehistoric society. Yeah. Prehistoric culture and each item has been documented very minutely in the excavation. So in contrast to the bigger cities like a harapan civilization the prioic sites are very much small and the deposit also very much flimsy.

[00:09:48]The tools are the main findings from the archeological excavation of prehistoric sites. This tool can be very depend upon the cultural deposit. If the site is belongs to lower pyolithic so the bigger handax and the clever like this could be obtained but however the site is belongs to meolithic period then small microlith and blades and flakes could be found in the deposit. So depend upon the cultural strategraphy of any site you can get the stone tools. However, all the prehistoric sides are majorly consist the stone tools and apart from stone to stone tools, the second most important component we achieved in excavation is bone. Sometimes bone are also used for tools like a bone points and the bones were generally uh discarded sample of animal meat. So the bones give us a quite important picture of what kind of animal were hunted or domesticated and how they were consumed by the previous uh societies. So such kind of material culture though it's in limitation but give us a quite fair idea about their culture. The archaeologists also try to understand and get the remains of ecoact and phytoolis and poland and other material to get the insights of the prehistoric culture and such kind of this is the one example which I quoted here this kind of this is the excavation trench area and within the trench area these kind of tools has been observed.

[00:11:38]You record that each has tools has been marked here and draw here which shows their spatial distribution within the area and this contextual analysis give us an idea that which of the area was used by prehistoric people and how it was used and what kind of tools has been preferably be made in the particular area. So such kind of minor study are needed in prehistoric excavation to get as much as information about their community.

[00:12:14]Then move towards the uh excavation at rock shelter of prehistoric site. So rock shelter generally are natural formation and they are found in the vindas and in the siadri and other areas of duin south India. But in northern India the Vindhan terrain giving us a quite abundant uh natural caves found from Caimur to Madhya Pradesh. And one of the very important site is Bhim Pedka which is the natural cave shelters where the uh abundant rock paintings of prehistoric period has been found. But apart from rock paintings there is also a deposit of prehistoric societ prehistoric period has been reported and the data was the site was excavated previously kind of sites where the human being was lived quite earlier time. So deposit generally found in such kind of area where the natural shelters uh is formed.

[00:13:18]This shelter help human beings save from the wild animals or from sun and also protect them from the rain. So these are the naturally protected shelters utilized by human being for quite a longer period of time and such kind of areas are quite preferable in prehistoric period. So in this in this type of natural cave sites the method is generally same like a vertical or horizontal uh has been uh conducted.

[00:13:52]Most importantly the horizontal excavation are generally a preferred one in the uh prehistoric sides but we have also evidence of vertical excavation as well. again like a open air site very micro documentation analysis recording is needed to uh get the nature of any prehistoric site. So these are a few picture which are of human uh remains of prehistoric period found within the cave and these are a few example here and very minutely this area has been chosen and excavated.

[00:14:35]The recording and sampling is a soul of prehistoric excavation. Due to limited area everything needed to be recorded and documented and sampled for further studies.

[00:14:48]And why these are doing so? To understand the cultural sequence of the site to understand the strategraphical record of the site. And archaeologist often does this while drawing the whole trenches, trench layout, grid pattern and tools or any kind of artifacts found within the photographs is need to be done of each of the area or corner of the trench and the soil description. how the soil is changing while going bottom from the top. So this description is giving us a detailed recording of each and everything. There also the change of color, texture, composition and change of across the layers are uh recorded by archaeological team. The artifacts are mapped in situ where they are found and this are done to maintain their distribution pattern. The archist also collect charcoal for radiocarbon samples and other uh artifacts and objects for other uh dating method. The flotation is also used to understand the botanical uh referencing of this period and the found remains stone tools pigments and other grinding store were also collected and documented digressely. Then what are the important components found within the rock? The the tools are exactly same as open area and they can be vary depend upon the nature of the site. If the site is paleolithic then the big cold tools can be found and if the site is upper pathic or misolithic then the flick tools are found and apart from the stone tools other item like a bones sometime and if the side belongs to molyithic then the silt and all has also been reported from the excavations and these are a few uh tools where in found in archaeological excav ation and such kind of tools are often give us the tool technology that also help us to understand uh the resource utilization from from the what type of stone has been used whether it is local or obtained from the far area how it was made and it also give us an idea when it was made each so is give us the tentative pillarization of the deposit Let's move towards the other method of excavation known as a quadrant method of excavation. So this quadrant method is a unique in style and they generally use in a symmetry site. The symmetry sites are the archeological locations where human burials and the structures where the human graves are found. These symmetry sides are often consist different types of megalis known as a cyst on burial like this where the human body was deposited within in a skeleton form or his his or her ash feet graves and the other type of megatic monuments. The excavation at the sides focus on documentation or placement of the body, the orientation of the skeleton remains, where where the head is placed and the legs are rested, the type of burial, what kind of megalith is that, grave construction pattern and what are the associated grave goods were buried within the human skeleton remains and these are found in form of pottery.

[00:18:40]tree, beads, ornaments and tools generally the metal tools.

[00:18:46]>> The symmetry sites are very much crucial for understanding the mortary practices of the past societies. Also, they also giving us the very important information which archeologist cannot be achieved from excavation like the belief, ritual and the tradition. The skeleton remains also help us to uh give us the insights about their health of the human body on the based on the the teeth morals we can achieve the health condition of the particular human being then the dietary system of the buried people can also be retrieved from the skeleton remains. So these are a very important uh area of excavation and this is done through the quadrant method. So what are the objective of the symmetry excavation?

[00:19:47]Generally they are understand the margin practices. What kind of practice was followed by the community? What were their beliefs? why this fellow was buried here and why such kind of labor money and amount has been spent. So this merchant practice is give us a quite vital information about the intangible cultural process which cannot be retrived from the archeological excavation and this can be retrieved through the burial appendages buried within the deceased man. Sometimes we get the gold objects, copper objects and several metal objects. So the quantity of the objects can also shows the socioeconomic political hierarchy of the particular fellow who is buried within the burial.

[00:20:40]Also if you get the big size and the big kind of structures so that indicate this particular fellow somehow enjoy his more power possibly within the society. So this kind of mer practices belief and tradition really helpful to get the insights of intangible heritab of any archeological society. They also give us the socioeconomic identity of particular period is also depend upon the burial appendages buried within the uh grave.

[00:21:18]Understanding social hierarchy if any it can be achieved through the excavation of symmetry sites cultural belief surrounding death. Why these people are burying man in such a such a lavish style? why they were putting such an effort to give the to construct such a massive stones over his body. So such kind of social hierarchy uh is very much important to understand in archaeological excavation of symmetry sites. There also this excavation give us a very interesting aspect which cannot be retrieved from the archaeological excavations.

[00:22:00]So uh what is the quadrant method of excavation? So generally the burials are circular in shape. There are quite [clears throat] a specific phenomena found all Indian subcontinent and the cordon method is modified version of the grid system. However excavating the circular feature and the most of the megati graves are circle in shape. So therefore most of the graves are excavated in a quadrant method. Each quadrant has different name. There is a always a north here. So this is the northwest, northeast, southeast and southeast. And it at a time escavate the two any corner. Either you choose this one or you can take this one. So this cordon method give us a quite interesting information about the burial through systematic way. So this is the actual picture of megatic burial.

[00:23:04]uh you can see this is picture taken from Nagpur Maharashtra and this is the megatic circle completely circular in nature and for the excavation of such kind of uh megalith the quadrant method has been applied where the megalith has been divided into four equal quadrant and at the same time quadrant was excavated. So first this this quadrant or this quadrant then this one then it systematically expose all the area of within the burial. So this quadrant method is divided into four quadrants. Use the pegs and string as like horizontal vertical excavation. The bark is also remained here. Sometimes is 50 cm 25 cm depend upon the area area and size of the burial. This bath provide access to all parts of the mount also help to understand the depositional portions. How the burial was deposited.

[00:24:05]Sometime it's only deposit with soil but most of the time soil and the stone are usually combined used for the deposition. So this section give us a quite interesting insights about how it was processed and this cordon method give us the complete picture of megalithic burial in a systematic way.

[00:24:31]So these again this is the uh picture of megalithic uh burial excavation. This is probably south India and you can see this kind of circular structure was there and this circular structure was was excavated through coordinant method and within the excavation we also get sometime such kind of small small graves. You can see this is the human skeleton remains found within the megalith and such kind of megaliths are found in the quadrant method. This can be situated at the center or any corner and through this systematic excavation one can identify which area where the human was buried.

[00:25:18]This is picture taken from the Mali Gondia the excavation you can see this is the again a circular megalithic stone circle which was divided into four quadrant and we started excavation at each quadrant systematically. First we excavated these two quadrant simultaneously. Then we excavated these two quadrant. And you can see that while escavating we get such kind of cyst which was not observed before the excavation which is completely buried uh within the soil. So such kind of insight is very important to understand what kind of structural um activity present while deposition of this burial. So such kind of excavation is conducted in all megalithic burials of Vidharba uh Dean and South India.

[00:26:19]And how is done? Uh so the process is somehow like a quadrant uh like a horizontal excavation but some methods is uh difficult. In this method the mega is divide into four equal quadrants.

[00:26:32]Typically two opposite quadrant generally are excavated first while the other two remain intact or excavated later on and the steps are followed likely the circular feature is outlined at the first stage. strings or grid lines are used to divide into four equal quadrants. 1 2 3 4. This is the megatic circle. Then they divide into four quadrant. And there is a north west, norththeast, souththeast, southwest. These are the four corner.

[00:27:15]And each time these two were excavated and the section left intact between the cordon. Generally there is a section here 50 cm say and this remain intact. This this area was excavated at the last stage and after the uh recovering of full antiquities complete nature skeleton remains then this portion was excavated.

[00:27:46]And why this cordon method is used? The generally codon method is is a very giving us a systematic process to uh unear the depositional process of megalysis and it's also helped to understand how the deposition was taken place. It helped to study soil layers construction phases and the depositional history. And by excavating only parts of the future at a time, we can also get the sensitive or fragile context remain protected. For example, this is the uh uh joint skeleton remain found at Mahuri. This is the male and female. So this were buried within the black cotton soil and over their body a huge amount of soil, stones and the earth was buried. It was remained there for thousands years. But when we expose it and when the temperature changes the ancient to the modern these bones are in a complete fragile condition. They are brittle in nature and you can see that each cm of the bone is been cracked and when it exposed to the sun and modern temperature this cracks are heavily endangered and this whole skeleton in a brittle condition. So therefore if it is if exposed in any of the quadrant need to study urgently I either make in shadow or just remove as early as possible. So this quadrant excavation help us to recover a specific area in a systematic way. This also help us to cross shaking of the findings and ensure interpretation that somehow consistent and reliable. It also provide the clean vertical profile for drawing and photography. The through this excavation we understand that how this burial was prepared or deposit. So there was a section here earlier. You can see it was also excavated through the quadrant method. After extracting all the data from the megalis then this section has been demolished and this is the complete picture of stone circle and you can identify within the stone circle there is a central activity area and within the activity area the human skeleton remains has been found. So this method is suitable generally for circular features like a megalith. It give us the careful strategraphic control and precise recording.

[00:30:38]It also demand the experience escavator because such method is not generally followed by the excavator and since only part of future is explored initially the important information about artifact may remain intact and preserved. This process is generally this method is generally used for megalithic burials and very fine tools are used particularly the doctoral tools are used for cleaning around bones and skeleton remains in particular the case of witheralis the soil analysis pollen analysis and the other micro analysis help to reconstruct the burial environment and the ritual practice along with this the detailed photography drawing and other thing is actually done by the archaeologist. So let's come to the sum up of the prehistoric and the uh coordinate method of excavation. So excavation at prehistoric and symmetry site reveal the vital information about the ancient human beings, their tool typology, social practice and the belief system.

[00:31:45]The prehistoric excavations provide early human lifestyles, their technology, subsistence strategies and the adaptation to the environment. These excavation both the excavation provide the material evidence like tools, ecoacts and the structures. Symmetry, excavation offer crucial insights about the burial system, social identity, ritual behavior and the belief practices and the skeleton remains found within the megalithic or the symmetry sites and the grave goods help us to understand the health, demography, social status and socopolitical symbolism of the buried man.

[00:32:35]So this is the end of our presentation.

[00:32:38]I hope you understand the both the methods are equally important to retrieve the uh as much as data from the sides. So thank you.