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ARCHAEOLOGY : Digging up Old Stuff for New Discoveries

ARCHAEOLOGY : Digging up Old Stuff for New Discoveries. Did you know?.

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ARCHAEOLOGY : Digging up Old Stuff for New Discoveries

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  1. ARCHAEOLOGY:Digging up Old Stuff for New Discoveries

  2. Did you know?... A Canadian academic named Eric OttlebanCallen figured out a way to take fossilized human feces and, by soaking them in a tri-sodium phosphate solution, “return them to their former glory.” Think that’s cool? Playing with millions-years-old poop is just another day in the life of an archaeologist! (Could somebody pass the toilet paper, please?)

  3. What dictionary.com has to say: • ar·chae·ol·o·gy /ˌɑrkiˈɒlədʒi/ [ahr-kee-ol-uh-jee] –noun 1. the scientificstudy of historic or prehistoric peoples and their cultures by analysis of their artifacts, inscriptions, monuments,andothersuch remains, especially those that have beenexcavated.

  4. An FYI: Archaeology (the study of historic or prehistoric peoples) is not to be confused with paleontology, which is the study of prehistoric life, most commonly recognized as digging for dinosaur bones.

  5. Why do we do it? Archaeologists study human history starting from the time of the first stone tools, before humans had even evolved into homo sapiens, about 3.4 million years ago. We do not have written records for about 99% of human history – we depend on what we dig up to learn about their lives and cultures.

  6. So what tools do archaeologists use? • Brushes • Whisks • Dustpans • Picks and Shovels • Ground-penetrating radar (like an X-ray machine for the ground) • Tape • Cameras (aerial and hand-held) • Ladders • Wheelbarrows

  7. Why So Complicated? It’s just old stuff. • Archaeologists use so many different tools and techniques that it is a job requiring a LOT (a LOT a LOT) of patience. When they do find artifacts, they are often extremely fragile, and great care is required. Sometimes the job can be a little boring – they do a lot of digging when they don’t find anything at all. • But archaeology is important because we need to be able to understand how cultures functioned before ours. These discoveries provide important insight into human evolution, survival tactics, travel, and relationships.

  8. “There isn’t anything cool in Indiana.” There are actually a number of archaeological dig sites in this state. Angel Mounds Historic Site: Located in southwestern Indiana, this is one of the best-preserved Native American sites in the U.S. Middle Mississippian tribes hunted, farmed, and otherwise occupied its rich Ohio River land. Apparently it was abandoned around 1400 A.D. Indiana University claims the excavation rights and has been conducting research there since 1945.

  9. Ransom Place, Indianapolis: This is “the most intact 19th century neighborhood associated with African Americans in Indianapolis.” By the 1830s, it was bursting with black churches, schools and business leaders. It is named after Freeman Ransom, a prominent attorney and member of the community. The campus of IUPUI currently resides in the Ransom district. The university partners with the Ransom Place Neighborhood Association on archaeological research and interpretation.

  10. Dig Sites cont’d Strawtown: Once a Native American reservation occupied by Delaware tribes, Strawtown was taken over by white settlers in 1819 and turned into a kind of rest stop for their fellow travelers. By excavating Strawtown, archaeologists hope to learn more about the population of people during the Late Prehistoric period in what is now central Indiana. They also want to use the park as a tourism site for cultural education. When we visit Strawtown, we hope to help them achieve these goals!

  11. Archaeology Programs in Indiana • September is Indiana Archaeology Month! During this time, organizations like universities and museums hold workshops, digs, and other informational sessions for those interested in learning more about this discipline. • As mentioned earlier, IUPUI has a dedicated archaeology program at Ransom Place. IU owns the dig rights at Angel Mounds. Indiana University-Purdue University-Fort Wayne (IPFW) is the college dedicated to Strawtown. • The Indiana Department of Natural Resources directs archaeology in this state. They’ve implemented a number of laws in order to protect valuable sites and also house the database for archaeological site information.

  12. Archaeology at the Indiana State Museum • The Indiana State Museum (ISM) contains over 30,000 items in its collection of artifacts, most of which were found in-state starting around 1870. Briefly, ISM had possession of a small number of human skeletal remains, but after protests by Native Americans, ISM relinquished the remains out of respect to local tribes. Much of ISM’s collection consists of early tools excavated around Hamilton. • ISM also possesses objects from Angel Mounds. • Most of the artifacts housed at ISM were collected on or near the surface by both professionals AND everyday people just like you. A few were professionally excavated, but the large number of amateur-discovered artifacts just goes to show what can happen if you keep your eyes open!

  13. Clovis Points These spear points, found at ISM, are approximately 11,000 years old. First identified in New Mexico, Clovis Points can be found all over North America, including Indiana. The ancient people who carved these attached them to spears in order to kill animals like mastodons, mammoths, bison and deer.

  14. Mastodons and mammoths are both extinct today.Although none of the Clovis Points found in Indiana have been directly associated with the bones of now-extinct mammals, it’s pretty cool to imagine that these tiny stone-carved spears could bring down a creature as powerful and legendary as a mammoth! (These animals could be up to sixteen feet tall and and weigh as much as twelve tons. One tusk discovered near Lincoln, Illinois was ELEVEN FEET LONG! So keep your eyes open when we go on our own dig. Now that you know mammoths did exist around this area, we might hypothesize that ancient cultures in what is now Indiana did use their Clovis Points to bring down mammoths!)

  15. ISM Doing Big Things … Literally! • In 2005, a resident of Indiana named Tom Bothwell was digging a pond on his property and came across the bones. ISM launched an official dig in July 2008. • In 2008, an ISM dig in northern Indiana unearthed a collection of four mastodon skeletons! Currently these bones are being catalogued and studied. Eventually, along with other mastodon and elephant skeletons, they will become an exhibit at ISM called “Elephant Graveyard” (presumably named after the graveyard of The Lion King fame). • Finding more than one mastodon together is extremely unusual. Generally only one skeleton is found in any given area, which makes this collection one of the largest and most exciting in the country.

  16. The Prehistoric Treasure In The Fields Of Indiana(Say whaaat?!) by Micah SchweizerJanuary 3, 2011It's 1988. Workers building a road in Mt. Vernon, Indiana, damage an ancient burial mound, causing a treasure trove of silver and copper to pour from the ground. A bulldozer operator decides to grab some of the treasure. He ends up in prison for looting.It sounds like the plot of an Indiana Jones film, only it's not a movie. The treasure belonged to a mysterious and advanced culture that flourished in the Eastern and Midwestern U.S. nearly 2,000 years ago. Because it predates the written record, this prehistoric culture doesn't have a Native American name but in the 1800s, archaeologists dubbed it the Hopewell Tradition. These clay figurines were part of the buried treasure and were curated by ISM. They are on display at Angel Mounds. This site is fast becoming one of the most important archaeological sites in the United States.

  17. Did You Know? Archaeologists always dig square holes. Using a grid system of organization helps them keep accurate records of where they make each find. (These guys dig ROUND holes, not square holes. But technically they are kind of archaeologists as well. The Warden’s mission in Holes is to find evidence of human existence that was buried many years ago. When Stanley Yelnats finds the lipstick container, he’s dug up an artifact.)

  18. Did You Know This? • One of the best places for an archaeologist to learn about a past civilization is a "midden,” ALSO KNOWN AS: an ancient garbage dump! What will your garbage tell people of the future about YOU?

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