Archaeology

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Chapter 18

• Archaeologys Future

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Outline

• 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

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Questions About Our Past

• People care about history for different reasons.
• We will always face important issues regarding
• What is done with our knowledge of the past.
• Who gets to tell the story.
• Who controls access to data.

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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 endsthat is, to do
  applied science.

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Applied Archaeology

• Brings the techniques of archaeology to
  non-traditional venues.
• Applies our knowledge of the human past to
  concrete economic or social problems.

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The Garbage Project

• Rathjes 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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Quick Quiz
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• 1. A ___ science is the systematic pursuit of
  knowledge for its own sake, while applying
  findings to practical ends is _____ science.

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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.

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• 2. The Garbage Project found that ____ takes up
  40 to 50 of the volume in American landfills.

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Answer paper

• The Garbage Project found that paper takes up 40
  to 50 of the volume in American landfills.

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• 3. _______ _______ uses established
  archaeological techniques to assist law
  enforcement agencies.

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Answer Forensic Archaeology

• Forensic Archaeology uses established
  archaeological techniques to assist law
  enforcement agencies.