Archaeology

Before Binford made his argument that archaeology was holding a backseat in anthropology, and needed to make a necessary transition towards a systematic view of culture, archaeology used a direct historical approach. By studying modern native cultures one could start at the top of each archaeological layer and work down (working the way back in time). Sir Edward B. Tylor represented cultural evolutionism in archaeology. He believed that there was a purpose in the development of society and…

Anthropology and archaeology are two fields of study that have plenty in common with each other along with uncommon with each other. Both archeology and cultural anthropology focus on studying culture, the difference is these fields study them in different ways (Waweru). Cultural anthropology is a term that is in everyday lives and topics. When thinking of anthropology one may think of the study of extinct human cultures or the study of past human cultures commonly referred to as archaeology…

Archaeological data can be a valuable aid to interpreting texts, as well as providing independent conclusions of a text’s historical accuracy. Archaeology provides a general background to the events of the Bible, helps us in understanding the translation and many passages directly, and it has given us insight into the religious setting of the Bible. Archaeology provides historical credibility to the events of the Bible. This helps provide analytical scholars more on the context of the Bibles…

Jerry D. Moore’s novel, The Prehistory of Home, provides information of archaeology through the use of one central theme: the home. Moore does not simply describe different excavations, he discusses the journey of the human experience expressed by archaeological dwellings and artifacts. The Prehistory of Home supplements Anthropology 145, World Prehistory, by discussing the development of human society through the examination of the home. The central purpose of this course is to observe the…

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…

Question 1 The principles of archaeology are all about the history of archaeology and its methods and theories. The definition of the archaeology can be described as the study of the past history of human by applying methods on some material remains which can be category as artifacts, ecofacts, or features. The importance of field of study is obvious because it’s the best way to find out our human history from the ancient time and can show the development of both cultural civilizations and…

For four years during my undergrad I had the privilege of studying Anthropology and Sociology at the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities. When I started college, I believed that I would be pursuing a career in the museum world as a curator or in museum administration. However, my interests in the justice system along with my background in Anthropology conflicted with that goal of working in a museum setting until I found that I could have a career involving both of my areas of study. My…

Post-Processualism that took place 1980 and present. During each period there were different interpretations of what archaeology was, there were new ideas of how to deal with archaeological finds, and just what classified as an “important or worthy” find. Two of these periods in particular will produce their own theories and procedures that will influence and maneuver the archaeology that people see present…

Strontium Isotopes from the Earth to the Archaeological Skeleton: A Review. Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory13(3): 138–187. In this article, Bentley provides a review of and explains the various ways in which strontium isotopes are used in archaeology, as well as potential problems with their analysis. He gives a detailed description of what strontium isotopic ratio analysis is, and how these numbers can indicate mobility through life. While a very informative article, it contained a…

Museums as Learning Environments Museums serve as learning environments by providing information about specific subjects through exhibits. People visit museums to learn and experience new information. Every museum is focused on a particular subject, whether that is natural science, history, or culture. One visits a museum based on what one wants to learn about. If a particular person is very interested in the history of Native American’s then he/she will seek out a museum that provides…