Transcript Chapter 18

Chapter 18
Archaeology’s Future
Outline
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Archaeological Science: Pure or Applied?
The Garbage Project
Forensic Archaeology
Rediscovering Ancient Technology
Public Education
Who Has the Authority to Study the Past?
Seeking Common Ground
Questions About Our Past
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People care about history for different
reasons.
• We will always face important issues
regarding:
1. What is done with our knowledge of the
past.
2. Who gets to “tell the story.”
3. Who controls access to data.
Archaeological Science:
Pure or Applied?
• Anthropology is conventionally
perceived as a pure science, as the
systematic pursuit of knowledge for its
own sake.
• But anthropologists have long
attempted to apply their findings to
practical ends—that is, to do applied
science.
Applied Archaeology
• Brings the techniques of archaeology to
non-traditional venues.
• Applies our knowledge of the human
past to concrete economic or social
problems.
The Garbage Project
• Rathje’s Garbage Project began in Tucson,
an urban community whose population at the
time was slightly over 360,000.
• Garbage was picked up from randomly
selected households, and a sampling design
ensured that different socioeconomic
neighborhoods were included.
The Garbage Project
• The project has involved hundreds of
students and 60 participating organizations,
recording more than 2 million items from
15,000 household refuse samples from some
250,000 pounds of garbage.
• The Tucson project has operated continually
since 1973, and satellite projects have been
launched throughout North America.
The Garbage Project:
Landfills
• The Garbage Project used archaeological
methods to explore nine landfills across the
United States, recovering about 12 metric
tons of debris deposited between 1952 and
1989.
• Paper takes up 40 to 50% of the volume in
American landfills.
• The rest consists of construction debris,
metals, plastics, other materials, food and
yard waste, and glass.
Forensic Archaeology
• Uses established archaeological
techniques to assist law enforcement
agencies.
• Provide training in the recovery analysis
of material remains generating firsthand
evidence to be presented in courts of
law.
Archaeology and Education
• Archaeologists have created research and
educational programs that create a better
understanding of the past with the input of
descendant communities’ perspectives.
• Such archaeological programs bring people
of different backgrounds together and break
down social, ethnic, racial, and cultural walls
that divide the world.
Quick Quiz
1. A ___ science is the systematic pursuit
of knowledge for its own sake, while
applying findings to practical ends is
_____ science.
Answer: pure, applied
• A pure science is the systematic pursuit
of knowledge for its own sake, while
applying findings to practical ends is
applied science.
2. The Garbage Project found that ____ takes
up 40 to 50% of the volume in American
landfills.
Answer: paper
• The Garbage Project found that paper
takes up 40 to 50% of the volume in
American landfills.
3. _______ _______ uses established
archaeological techniques to assist law
enforcement agencies.
Answer:
Forensic Archaeology
• Forensic Archaeology uses
established archaeological techniques
to assist law enforcement agencies.