Forensic archaeology

The excavation of an historical site is intended to provide us with information about the past and the manifestations of its culture and society. The excavation of Knossos in modern day Crete aimed at investigating the ancient Palace of Knossos(II) known only from ancient myths. Different archaeological methods were employed at the site to discover, identify and record findings. The physical excavation of the site was was most important aspect of the investigation, which helped identify…

When talking about the topic of anthropology, most people think of exploring distant lands, abstruse theories detached from any sensitive significance, or Indiana Jones. Aside from the all too familiar movie references to adventure, perilous, intrigue temples, anthropology has many beneficial applications that are relevant to today’s world. Anthropology in itself, is the study of understanding ourselves in relation to others. It is the study that helps us understand what it means to be human.…

Evidence of cultural preservation is hard to perceive in the daily life of an American, especially when being compared to The Cree. The Cree prioritize cultural preservation because it is essential to their survival. Before thirty years ago, Cree children were taught through cultural transmission or cultural learning rather than attending traditional schools like an American. They were taught respect for the land and “to survive by living in harmony with nature… to live off what the land and…

earthquake destroyed the city. After that, the people lived dispersed in hamlets until the 13th century CE when the Seljuks destroyed their last stronghold and absorbed the people into the Turkish empire (Sagalassos: Archaeology Research Project,…

The legacy of residential school has enabled and limited an entire generation of Indigenous people from being able to effectively pass down information that is integral to their culture. Due to this fact, it has become imperative that other forums of information sharing are developed, in order to support and share what information is left of indigenous culture. However, at the same time, this new forum that is developed must show full respect for Indigenous culture and tradition, while properly…

The death of Kaakutja: a case of perimortem weapon trauma in an Aboriginal man from north-western New South Wales, Australia, published by Cambridge University Press, delves into how biological anthropology was used to date the remains of an Aboriginal man and discover how he may of have died. The article first introduces the problem by explaining that a skeleton has been found in New South Wales that exhibits fatal trauma evidence. At first glance it would seem the fatal trauma is indicative…

It is quite rare to be enrolled in a history class that does not, even briefly, expose students to the essence of Greek society; we are often taught to appreciate the influence that the Greeks had on the development of the western world. Martin Bernal, in his work Black Athena, sheds new light on this matter, offering evidence that suggests our beliefs about the origin of Greek culture are misconstrued. Bernal successfully argues that, contrary to the widely believed and racism-laced Aryan Model…

The Ethics of Cultural Appropriation by James Young, is a detailed exposé of cultural appropriation through research and real life accounts all ranging from things like religion, to archaeological studies and everything in between. This book seemed fitting to my topic as it takes cultural appropriation one step farther, and discusses the ethics behind it from a number of different viewpoints. Each chapter in the book is a separate idea than the last, being discussed in detail, edited numerous…

Archaeology in the case of the Kennewick Man served as evidence, mystery solver, historical documentation, and dispersion of conflict. As a mystery solver, it confirmed the Native Americans’ claim that the bones belonged to one of their ancestors. This was provided by a thorough DNA test that indicated that the bones were related to Indian tribes of the Pacific Northwest (Haviland). The irony as stated in the textbook is that the very thing the Native Americans did not want happening help to…

Renfrew and bahn chapter one: The main focus and summary of this chapter is about the history of archaeology, as well as its present form. Archaeology has gone from discovering and finding archaeological material, to developing/applying methods to answer questions about our human past. Thomas Jefferson was the first to have a recorded excavation in 1784. By using methods such as stratigraphy and deductive reasoning, archaeologists of this time were able to touch on the deeper questions of our…