Forensic archaeology

Object Biography: Mexican Spindle Whorl Though it may seem like a mere lump of clay to the average individual, in reality, a spindle whorl represents a ubiquitous and methodical practice of production that was used for thousands of years across the globe. However bland one may appear, in their time of use, spindle whorls were vital tools for countless cultures. Used to spin thread, these small tools were utilized by individuals in every corner of the globe for generations in order to ease the…

As stated in Killick’s article, the rapid growth of the field of archaeology comes with downfalls. Many aspects of processual archaeology is evident in Killick’s article. Such as his point that science is slowly intertwining itself with archaeology. Killick goes on to list issues in the field of archaeological studies, narrowing it down to a select handful that he believes needs to be corrected to delve deeper into the field. The first issue is with reviewing the “Journal of Archaeological…

When an elderly Eskimo man was asked how he would summarize his life in a few words he stated “Willow smoke and dogs’ tails; when we camp it is all willow smoke and when we move all you see is dogs’ tails wagging in front of you. Eskimo life is half of each.” This article by Lewis R. Binford focuses on the hunter-gatherer system of a mobile man pursing food, shelter and satisfaction. The author starts off the article by quoting the words of an Eskimo man who which Binford a life that has now…

All around the world more and more cultural artifacts are being stolen, looted and sold on the black market. Cultural artifacts or antiquites are objects and works of art that are ancient. These artifacts would be stolen, destroyed, or under appreciated significantly less if they were not returned to their region of origin. Cultural artifacts should not be returned to their regions of origin because, the artifacts could fall into the hands of a country that can't afford the upkeep, it's…

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…

I strongly believe that they should relocate artifacts into museums. If they relocate artifacts, they are preserving the artifacts. Another reason why the should relocate artifacts is because they wouldn’t be destroying the artifacts. They would have more land if they removed the artifacts. The last reason why they should remove the artifacts is because of natural disasters. Relocating artifacts into museums means that they would be preserving the artifacts. In the articles, it states…

the Huron-Wendat had little, to no knowledge about their past. I feel that the filmmakers, even if they depicted an interesting portrayal of pre-colonial Aboriginal history, did so in a biased manner. In contrast to the last chapter of "Ontario Archaeology" which highlighted hostile relations between Aboriginals and archaeologists, the movie made it seem as if Aboriginal communities depend on archaeologists for knowledge of their ancestors. In reality, archaeologists sometimes play…

For my gallery report assignment I decided to visit The Museum of Natural History. I chose to go to this museum because it was my first time visiting and I thought it would be interesting to visit this. My first thoughts about the museum was that it had a fascinating display of exhibits ranging from animals, dinosaur fossils, and modern science. When I entered the Hall of Ancient Life there was a life-size cast of dinosaurs all over the gallery, including a 40 foot long skeleton of an…

The English Contact period in the New World is an established focus among historians as well as archaeologists. Jon Bernard Marcoux takes a step further with his innovative approach to explore how Cherokee households transformed during the English Contact period and if change was a direct result of European contact. Marcoux also questions why the Cherokee even settled in the southern Appalachian region only to abandon it in the 1700s. The origins of the Cherokee settling in the area can only be…

Megiddo is not only important as a geographical site for its historicity, but also allows one to reflect theological importance peeling back the layers of the past. Megiddo, rather than being a simple site is a multi-layered treasure. Many times this dig has had beginnings and ends. Men such as Shumacher, Rockafeller, Yadin and Adam’s have worked to uncover revealing evidence regarding people of the past. Biblically, this city of old is mentioned twelve times within the Old Testament and once…