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| Historic Archaeological Excavation through the Penn Museum |
Archaeology is the study of past cultures through the study
of their material remains. As discussed
in previous posts there are several areas of the field of archaeology. Today’s blog post is dedicated to discussing
one of those areas: historical archaeology.
Historical archaeology focuses on the material cultural
remains connected to American Indian and Euroamerican groups and sites
post-colonization of the Americas.
Locating these sites can, in some ways, be easier due to the presence of
historical records, although they are not always present and therefore not
always used when investigating historic archaeological sites. Historical archaeological artifacts also tend
to be easier to identify since there is a means of comparing them to known
artifacts, but that requires archaeologists to have the knowledge and an
understanding of how and what items were used in the past.
The artifact types, however, are not that different from any
other archaeological investigation. For
example, there are still ceramic artifacts at historic sites, although the
variety of ceramics does vary and matches the technological advances of the
period. There is also a bit more variety
in what may be found at historical sites.
For example, there is a bit more variety in metal artifacts, which
include nails, bullets, cans, and wire.
There are also a variety of glass objects, which are atypical of many
prehistoric sites.
Given the context of historical archaeology many might
wonder what the purpose of the field is.
If historical records are already present what more could the
archaeological evidence provide? Plenty,
actually. The archaeological record can
fill in gaps in the historical record.
For example, Hill’s Fort in southern Illinois was discovered through
archaeological investigation, and this discovery assisted in the historical
understanding of the founding of the state.
The archaeological record can also provide insights into the past that
may not have been addressed at the time.
For example, archaeology of slavery provides insights into the culture
and resistance among enslaved individuals, which was not typically addressed in
the historical record. Therefore,
historical archaeology serves some very distinctive purposes.
Students interested in
learning more about archaeology, specifically historical archaeology, should
contact me regarding an opportunity to excavate at a historic site in the area.
References
Sutton, M. and Arkush, B. 2014. Archaeological Laboratory Methods: An
Introduction. Kendall Hunt Publishing.
12 comments:
It is amazing to think that if the job field of archaeologist never came about, who would dig up the past and help us learn more about the techniques our ancestors used to farm, hunt, and make baskets and nets for fishing. To think that there could be history in the woods behind your house or even your backyard. You just will never discover the past that lies beneath the soil of your backyard unless you adventure out. Glad to learn more about the job field!
--Kimberly Wilbers
This blog alone is a huge eye opener to me because, I've always heard the term archaeology but never really had an idea of what it was or what the purpose of a archaeologist was. I understand their is different fields that they can study, this one caught my attention because, it's the study of past cultures through the study of their material remains. My question for that is would archaeology benefit someone majoring in criminal justice who wanted to pursue a career in homicide or wanted a job in forensics? It seems like it can relate a lot.
- Apre'shana Page
Excellent question. The answer is yes. There is actually a field of archaeology called forensic archaeology, where archaeological methods are used in criminal investigations, particularly body recovery. Additionally the ways of thinking archaeologically, in my opinion, can be used in general investigation. For example, in archaeology context is everything. A knife can be a kitchen utensils, a hunting instrument, a ritual item, or even a weapon, but we cannot know that unless we have the context clues (e.g. location, other objects, any people associated with it). Same idea in criminal investigations. You look at a scene to recreate the crime, and context is key.
It's really amazing what archaeologist do. The thought of taking up a field in forensic archaeology never even crossed my mind. Question, is it possible that no matter how dangerous something may seem, a archaeologist can still say that it was used to kill someone? Like if they found something as small as a needle, could they really be able to identify what the needle was used for? Also, what else could I do with the field archaeology?
-Brittany Duckett SA202
Interesting questions, Brittany. Can an archaeologist tell if an object was used as a deadly weapon? Depends. For example I know an arrow was used to kill someone because it was found lodged in the heart of the deceased (the joys of working with mummies). If that arrow wasn't in the mummy's heart I may not be able to tell if it was *the* arrow unless there was additional evidence, which I could potentially find if I was able to run tests on it (e.g. trace element analysis). As for other things you can do with archaeology, I know quite a few archaeologists who work in preservation, work as statisticians (because archaeology requires statistics), and other jobs. There are other options than just digging. :)
This blog is really good and made me think alot on how much you can find and learn alot about just by being an archeologist and with all the different types of feilds they have , and going way back into the past facts to find out what type of bones there is and many more historical things there is just by digging under ground .
This blog is helpful if you're wanting to learn more about historical archaeology. I, myself did not know there were several other areas of the field of archaeology. I always thought of archaeology as old fossils being discovered and found by people who had the interest and understanding of fossils. I've learned from this post that historical archaeology is the material remains of past societies and are connected to American Indian and Euroamerican groups. Learning about fossils and discovering the time and place they took is very interesting to me but I question a lot of it. Such as how accurate are the archaeological records of these fossils? - China Toins
If archaeologists were never here to dig up the past then we would be so lost in the present! Before reading I thought they just dug up bones just for fun but thats actually a cool job. Keep it up guys!!
Being that I love history, I never knew it was a historical archeology. This kind of brought interest to me, n the historical side. It would be amazing to be excavating and find out that I found something, that had a historical relevance to it. I believe that most things that someone digs up from places that we evolved from, has a meaning behind it.
Jovan Black
Every time i read a post about archaeologist i find out there is one for almost anything and it continues to amaze me because before this class i thought of archaeologist as someone who dug up bones and figured out what animal they belong to. this post was very informative.
-Kyla Thomas
Helpful blog when it comes to information about historical archaeology. What stood out to me the most was variety of things that can be found at sites as well as the hill fort discovery in my home state of Illinois.
To recreate the past we need both historical documents and archeological findings. Historical records may help locate and interpret locations, offering important background information for comprehending the relationships and dynamics of culture.-Brooklyn Blair
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