Introduction to Archaeology and Anthropology

Introduction to Archaeology

• Archaeology studies past human behavior through material remains
• "Prehistoric" and historic periods are both studied
• Archaeological work often reconstructs history from non-written sources
• Archaeology has a complex history intertwined with colonialism and political agendas

Anthropological Fields

• Cultural Anthropology: Studies human societies and cultures, emphasizing cultural relativism (treating cultures as equally valid)
• Ethnography: In-depth study of a single culture, often through participant observation (immersive fieldwork)
• Emic perspective: Inside view of a culture
• Etic perspective: Outside view, from an observer's perspective
• Ethnology: Comparison of multiple cultures' traits
• Linguistic Anthropology: Studies language structure, change, and its social context
• Physical Anthropology: Studies human biology – past and present
  • Examining fossils and living primates, focusing on sex, age, stature, appearance, diet, health, death, and relatedness
  • Analyzing skeletal remains to understand diet, health, injuries, and cause of death using chemical analysis of bone and teeth
  • Using DNA analysis to understand relationships and populations
• Archaeology: Uses material remains to understand human behavior across vast time scales

Origins and Influences

• Anthropology emerged in response to colonial expansion and natural history
• Anthropology, in focusing on "humans," aims holism, emphasizing interconnectedness of various aspects of culture (religion, economics etc)
• Anthropologists use cultural relativism to understand cultural variations, by recognizing cultural differences and comparing without bias
• Key tools used in ethnographic data collection include participant observation (immersive fieldwork)
• Egalitarian vs. Hierarchical Cultures: Understanding how social structures vary across cultures
• Colonial Expansion and the Shaping of Archaeology
• The application of archaeology is not always neutral: some agendas might manipulate and change the data

Pseudoarchaeology

• Pseudoarchaeology presents false information about the past or misrepresents the findings of legitimate archaeology
• Pseudoarchaeological ideas frequently involve unsubstantiated claims of non-human involvement in past cultures (e.g., aliens)

Treasure Hunting and Ethical Considerations

• Treasure hunting, including looting of cultural objects, is a complex topic involving ethical issues
• Ownership, consent, and the potential for damage/destruction to archaeological sites need to be evaluated

Archaeological Field Methods

• Surface surveys: Looking for buried sites by ground surveys
• Buried sites: Carefully digging at sites
• Geophysics: Non-invasive techniques to detect buried features using devices to detect anomalies
• Screening and Digging in Levels: Understanding layers and changes across time
• Vertical vs. Horizontal Excavations: Vertical excavations document changes through time; horizontal excavations offer a snapshot of a community
• Artifacts vs. Ecofacts: Artifacts are modified human objects; ecofacts are unmodified natural remains
• Relative dating: Using stratigraphy to establish a chronological order relative to other layers
• Absolute dating: Determining age relating to a fixed time scale using radioactive decay (such as Carbon-14 dating).