Archeology: The Science of Trash

1. Archeology: The Science of Trash By Ron Eisenman

3. Archeology Goes To The Movies

4. Definition Archeology is the scientific study of past human culture and behavior, from the origins of humans to the present. The aim is to reconstruct human societies that can no longer be observed firsthand, in order to understand and explain human behavior.

5. Objects of Study Archaeologists study the material remains of previous human societies such as the fossils (such as preserved bones and teeth) of humans, food remains, the ruins of buildings, and human artifacts�items such as tools, pottery, and jewelry. Fossil: any trace or impression of an organism of past geologic time that has been preserved in the Earth�s crust. Bones, teeth, shells, horns and woody tissues of plants are the most common type Artifact: any object made or altered by humans

6. History The discipline of archeology began in the 19th Century Most early sites were in Europe, Egypt, and Southwest Asia Today, highly trained archeologists excavate sites all over the world which cover the earliest human history to the present

7. The Archeological Record Most objects have disintegrated over time. The prospects for an item to be found in the archeological record depend on the following factors: Soil conditions Nature of the original material The most common items include durable items such as potsherds (small fragments of pottery), tools or buildings of stone, bones, and teeth (which survive because they are covered with hard enamel). Delicate objects are rarely found Temperature: Ice and cold temperatures slow decay Humidity: Low humidity encourages preservation, ie, King Tut�s flowers and robes Human activity Paradox: Assuming a site is preserved and discovered, it is destroyed as soon as it is touched.

8. Specialties Since the archeological record is so incomplete, archeologists must use other kinds of information and educated reasoning to fill in the gaps. Archaeology is a multi-disciplinary team effort relying on expertise in diverse fields, including physical anthropology (the study of human biology and anatomy), geology, ecology, and climatology (the science of weather patterns). Sub-specialties include exotic fields like zooarchaeology, paleoethnobotany, and geoarchaeology.

9. Specialties Prehistoric archeology (or paleoanthropology) Early human remains Stone Age Early Farming Historical archeology Classical Civilizations Biblical archeology Underwater archeology Industrial archeology Urban archeology Forensic archeology

10. Survey Site: any place containing archeological remains of human activity How are sites discovered? Luck Ground surveys: soil marks, vegetation Aerial photography Satellite imaging Exposure from erosion, earthquakes, floods Documents, maps, and folklore Conspicuous mounds or ruins

11. Type of Sites Living or settlement sites Early settlements were open-air lake or riverside camps, rock overhangs, or caves Near water, game, and farming opportunities Kill sites Ceremonial sites Burial sites Battlefields

12. Stonehenge

13. Excavation Sites are excavated according to plan- there are no second chances 2 methods: Horizontal excavation: for larger areas Vertical excavation: for smaller areas and emphasis on chronology (see next slide) Grid systems and stakes are used to record the exact location of where an object is found in relation to another object Digging is carefully done using hand trowels, screens, brushes, and picks. Flotation may also be used Site maps, photographs, scale drawings are used

14. Vertical Excavation

15. Sorting the Evidence The materials are processed in a laboratory 3 hours of tedious lab work for one hour of fieldwork Analysis of human skeletal materials explains many aspects of life

16. Goals Modern archaeological studies have three major goals: Chronology: to establish the age of excavated materials Reconstruction: to model what past human campsites, settlements, or cities�and their environments�might have looked like, and how they might have functioned Explanation: to create scientific theories about what people living in the past thought and did.

17. Dating

18. Chronology- Relative Dating Relative dating: establishes the date of archaeological finds in relation to one another. Law of Association: an object is contemporary with the other objects found in the same archaeological level Law of Superposition: The lowest occupation level on a site is older than those on top of it. It is possible to date materials by: Comparing the object itself with known dates of similar objects Palynology: examination of pollen grains and vegetation Knowledge of paleontology and the nearby animal remains

19. Chronology- Absolute Dating Absolute dating: determines the year in which an artifact, remain, or geological layer was deposited. Historical documents or objects of known age that confirm the date, or both. Dendrochronology, or tree-ring dating. (More recent) Radiocarbon dating (40,000-1500 AD) Uranium Thorium Dating (1 MYA-300,000) Potassium-argon dating (oldest to � MYA)

20. Reconstruction and Explanation Settlement: The study of the nature of human occupation of a site. How long? What kind of activities took place? Organization? What materials were used? Where did the materials originate? Trade with outsiders? Burials Reveals much about an individual and the larger society

21. Reconstruction and Explanation Food: provides clues about environment, economics, and technology Textiles: one of the most important products of human skill for over 1 million years. Disease (Paleopathology): Clues to genetics, natural environment, and social conditions Warfare Valuables Ritual and religion

22. Archeology Careers and Resources http://www.museum.state.il.us/ismdepts/anthro/dlcfaq.html

23. Sources http://history-world.org/archeology.htm http://www.museum.state.il.us/ismdepts/anthro/dlcfaq.html Past Worlds: Atlas of Archaeolgy Anthropology by Haviland