Processual archaeology

Question 4: The Importance of Analogy Analogy is a key aspect of archaeology because it is an important method to gaining a wide range of information about the past that is not always present in the archaeological or written record and it informs us on the nature of the archaeological record (Johnson 2010:50). Archaeologists use analogy for even the most basic of interpretation such as the identification of types of artifacts. For example, how do we know an arrowhead is an arrowhead? Or a bowl…

There are many definitions of Indigenous archaeology. George P. Nicholas’s definition of Indigenous archaeology is “Indigenous archaeology is an expression of archaeological theory and practice in which the discipline intersects with Indigenous values, knowledge, practices, ethics, and sensibilities, and through collaborative and community-originated or –directed projects, and related critical perspectives. Indigenous archaeology seeks to (1) make archaeology more representative of,…

When archaeologists study artifacts, they look for it changed over time. The text says that the use of seriation, or “the sequencing of functionally similar artifacts based on stylistic differences,” helps determine the place of older or younger materials based on “the simple assumption that object styles change over time” (page 226). The fact that object styles change over time helps archaeologists determine why that artifact even changed in the first place. It could be improved or have better…

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…

Isabel Drews: How much time has to pass before it’s considered archaeology instead of grave robbing? In a society obsessed with continuously looking forward to the future, artifacts of historical significance still manage to escalate in popularity and entire their audiences. This high demand for artworks created by early humans has been capitalized on by large museums and historical societies, not only to continue to expand the public’s knowledge and interest in history, but for fiscal profit as…

I was able to look over two boxes, Box 68, and Box 412. Box 68 was under the professional file 1897-1995.The container or box has nine folders. Within the box it contained miscellany 1949-1966,press releases,1951-1957,printed matter 1949-1967 and also a report by Clark “Present Threat to Children and Youth 1957” .That was inside folder six of box 68. The report was written May 31, 1957 and drafted by Dr. Kenneth B. Clark. Clark reported that the major threat to the welfare and creative…

The Classificatory-Historical period took place from 1914-1960 and marked a time concerned with chronology and dating. Universities and other research institutions emphasized time as the primary tool of classifying North American cultures. During this time period it was thought that cultures could be well understood based on the chronological ordering of events. An important technique developed during this time was stratigraphic excavation, which was the differentiation and examination of…

There are a multitude of technologies used by anthropologists to help them gain more knowledge on past populations. Once specific technology, known as stable isotope analysis, is frequently used in archeological investigations. This is because it is not too difficult to operate and the results provide an abundance of information, ready to analyze. Through the use of carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis, anthropologists can conduct studies to provide anthropological insight on human…

Archaeology is a tricky subject. It is difficult to determine what a particular item is, and it is even harder to figure out its age. Still, archaeologists toil for years trying to uncover relics, artifacts, statues, and other items that give us insight into former civilizations. Unfortunately, though, this important research is often twisted to disprove the Bible. Whenever an artifact is found that seemingly contradicts the biblical record, skeptics rush to say that it proves that the Bible is…

The Greyfriars research team embarked on an excavation procedure around the vicinity of Leicester. The main aim of the excavation was to show the condition of medieval Leicester. The scholars met a discovery that would bring a lot of talk, in the archaeological and historical world. The discovery of the skeleton of Richard III. DNA analysis proved it was, in fact, his remains. Further morphological observation would show that the king had a hunchback. It would show that Shakespeare’s description…