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Consistency in Archaeological Measurement and Classification: A Pilot Study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Paul R. Fish
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Abstract

Little attention has been paid by archaeologists to the important problem of replicability of observational units. The studies presented in this paper involve examinations of discrepancy occurring at various levels in lithic and ceramic classification. Standardized typologies, as well as qualitative and quantitative attributes are considered. The results are discussed in terms of observer bias, influence of training, measurement error, and the implications for the statistical treatment of data.

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Type
Reports
Information
American Antiquity , Volume 43 , Issue 1 , January 1978, pp. 86 - 89
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for American Archaeology 1978

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