Expand Your Knowledge: Back-to-Back Stem Plot In archaeology, the depth (below surface grade) at which artifacts are found is very important. Greater depths sometimes indicate older artifacts, perhaps from a different archaeological period. Figure 2-20 is a back-toback stem plot showing the depths of artifact locations at two different archaeological sites. These sites are from similar geographic locations. Notice that the stems are in the center of the diagram. The leaves for Site I artifact depths are shown to the left of the stem, while the leaves for Site II are to the right of the stem (Reference:

Mimbres Mogollon Archaeology by A. I. Woosley and A. J. McIntyre, University of New Mexico Press).

(a) What are the least and greatest depths of artifact finds at Site I? At Site II?

(b) Describe the data distribution of depths of artifact finds at Site I and at Site II.

(c) Interpretation At Site II, there is a gap in the depths at which artifacts were found. Does the Site II data distribution suggest that there might have been a period of no occupation?AppendixLO1

FIGURE 2-20 Depth (in cm) of Artifact Location 5 2 0 Site | 5 = 25 cm at Site I and 20 cm at Site II Site II 0 5 5 0 0 0 0 5 5 2 50 3 5 5 5 5 4 0 0 0 5 50 5 0 0 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 0 CO 6 0 0 0 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 500 7 5 5 0 0 0 8 5 5 0 0 9 55 10 0 11 0 0 5 5 5 5 12 0 0 0 0 5