ArchaeologyDr. Elizabeth Ritter

A few of the things you will learn about archaeology this

semester:• What archaeology is and what it isn’t• How and why archaeologists study the past• How to identify an artifact and a site• How we “know” how old an object is• How we “know” how people lived and made

things in the past• Why some ancient objects from the past have

been preserved and why others haven’t

Archaeology or Pseudo-Archaeology?

Archaeology – the study of past societies through the systematic study (recovery and analysis) of material remains (stone tools, pottery, buildings, etc.)

Pseudo-archaeology – unsubstantiated, speculative and untested claims made about past societies

What do I mean by systematic study?

Systematic study is research that involvesscientific reasoning.

1. Deductive reasoning “top down” reasoning

Theory Hypothesis

Observation

Conclusion

2. Inductive Reasoning “bottom up” reasoning

Theory

Hypothesis

Patterns

Observations

Nasca Lines – southern Peru

“Spaceman”“Hummingbird”

Straight pathway Straight lines

Pseudo-Archaeology Explanation

The Nasca lines must have been created by alien beings, because 2000 years ago people in southern Peru had a technologically simple culture. The lines were built to help ancient visitors from space land their spaceships.

Erich von Daniken. 1968. Chariots of the Gods?

Archaeological Explanation

The Nasca lines were created by the people who lived in Peru 2000 years ago. Creation of the lines need not have involved sophisticated technology. They were created by removing dark rocks from on top of the light underlying soil. The pathways were probably connected to rituals associated with getting water in a dry climate.

Anthony F. Aveni. 2000. Between the Lines: The Mystery of the Giant Ground Drawings of Ancient Nasca, Peru. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press.

Why is there so much pseudo- archaeology?

Kenneth L. Feder, author of Frauds, Myths, and Mysteries, believes it is because:

1. The public is very interested in the past, but archaeologists spend most of their efforts talking to each other about their discoveries.

2. Pseudo-archaeology is a money-maker (books, lecture tours, etc.) because of intense public interest in past civilizations.

3. The desire for fame can be a motivation to exaggerate archaeological claims.

4. There may be a desire to prove a nationalistic claim through archaeology.

5. Religion may play a role in archaeological fraud – the temptation to prove religious beliefs using archaeological evidence.

6. People desire a more “romantic” vision of the past than scientific study generates.

In addition, archaeology is NOT . . .

• treasure hunting or collecting artifacts for personal gain (or for a personal collection).

• the study of fossils, although archaeologists have many interests in common with those who collect and study fossils.

• the practice of excavating sites just because they exist.

The Five Goals of Archaeology

1. Discover new material remains of the past

2. Place these remains in chronological order

3. Reconstruct past ways of life

4. Preserve archaeological sites

5. Educate the public about archaeology

Websites for Archaeology

• http://www.saa.org

• http://archnet.asu.edu

• http://www.archaeology.org

• http://anthropology.tamu.edu