Spotlight on Students: Thinking Like An Archaeologist

Thinking like an archaeologist is one of the most challenging exercises a novice or inexperienced person can do, including beginner archaeologists.  For one of the SA 202: Introduction to Anthropology assignments students were tasked with doing just that.  By viewing the familiar as the unfamiliar they gained important insights into the challenges archaeologists face, and several of them did exceptionally well in the exercise.  Here is a student's piece that was eligible for and agreed to be published.

 

Map of the site (Source: Liz Stewart)

 

By: Elizabeth (Liz) Stewart

                                                         

            On the 17th of December in the year 2120 a mass exodus of the Earth’s living oxygen dependent life forms began. Due to centuries of planetary neglect and abuse caused by Earth’s most dominant mammal population the Homo sapiens (human) soil, air, and water toxicity elevated, causing global temperatures to escalate.  This created a combination of conditions inhabitable for even the planet’s most resilient life form Periplaneta americana, the cockroach, resulting in the planets mass evacuation and vacant occupancy. Scholars from my planet Namreh have been interested in the once plentiful planet for millions of years, but fear of the planet’s wide variety of living organisms, coupled with the absence of knowledge pertaining to Earth, and the lack of adequate technology to travel the vast distance between locations has kept exploration from becoming a reality until now. Recent discoveries have provided evidence that in the past 1,103 years free of human contact Earth has been in a constant stage of recovery. As an archaeologist I have been chosen to join a small team of Namretian scientists on a voyage to planet Earth. Our mission upon arrival is to analyze the structural remains and artifacts contained within abandoned during the planet's evacuation. We will be using said findings to gain knowledge of the human species. Ideally information collected from this survey will give the Namretians a better understanding of the human species and its time on earth.

 

            The location assigned to me by leadership resembles a cube the structure consisting of four walls, a ceiling, and a flat level wooden floor.  Overall, the structure is 10 feet wide, 11 feet in length, and has a height of 10 feet. Three walls contain cut outs of various sizes that have been replaced with a material different from which the wall was constructed. Smooth in texture the white walls are durable but not impenetrable as small cylindrical holes are easily viewed upon visual inspection. Wall number one facing north is how I made entry into the location; it features a large rectangular cut out in its center that starts at the base where the floor and wall meet. This cut out measures 3 feet wide by 8 feet high.  Attached to the right side of the cut out by two silver metal hinges is a white panel that swing with little effort into the area; smooth in texture the panel is hard but not solid or heavy.  Upon tapping the panel, it appears be hollow and is constructed from a substance different from that of the wall. Roughly 3 feet from the panels base on the left, there is a round brownish metal mechanism that protrudes 3 inches from either side of the panel. It turns either direction and contains a locking device activated either by a twist control or a key. The east wall (wall two) bears a purposely cut cavity 5 feet by 2 feet by 8 feet. Containing a bare horizontal white wooden shelf, five feet from the floor, there runs a round rod an inch in circumference beneath and parallel to the shelf.  The pole is supported by the north and south cavity walls, and metal and plastic triangles with hooks protruding out the top point, are dangling from the rod. The entire entrance to the cavity is enclosed by two suspended panels that slide along a metal track and are like that of the site’s entry portal in construction but lack the metal locking mechanism.

2 feet from the cavity found pushed against wall two is artifact one.  It is a wooden container with a reflective glass plank attached vertically to its most superior surface. The container measures 3 feet wide by 1 foot in length and 3 feet tall.  The reflective surface is 2 feet wide, 2 feet tall, and only about an inch thick. The container has four rolling drawers accessible only by small metal knobs protruding from the east facing side of the container. Within the drawer are small fabric garments of various colors, sizes, and shapes.

The southern wall (wall three) contains a square cut-out centered directly across from the entry portal. Transparent glass rectangles with metal boarders fill the cut-out space. Roughly 8 inches to the west of the cut-out artifact two was found. Occupying a large amount of space, artifact two is placed in the corner where walls three and four meet, and this artifact consists of multiple pieces. Constructed from wood that has been glossed with an unknown chemical the bottom portion of the object appears to act as a frame or support for the superiorly located objects. Its entire structure stands on four wooden legs resembling an “L” shape. The tallest portion of this artifact is located on wall 3 and stands 4 feet tall and about 5 feet wide. The shorter portion stands only 1.5 feet tall and about 5 feet wide.  It is attached to the inferior side of the tall portion and extends 6 and a half feet to the north.

Resting atop this wooden piece is a rectangle measuring 5 feet wide and 6.5 feet long with a height of 1.5 feet. Its construction is remarkable, although time and the environment have aged large sections of the outer layer fabric, which is a pale orange or cream color. I believe it was originally white due to the bright white exhibited on the surfaces protected from exposure to the elements. Soft to the touch it has a somewhat fluffy appearance capable of supporting items. It contours to items based on individual curves or corners present but does not absorb them. The central piece was found to be of great density, weighing an estimated 125 pounds due to the gravitational pull of Earth. Visual examination leads one to believe an internal fame is present, supporting the weight of items placed on the superior surface; however, when lifted the object becomes flimsy, incapable of independently standing on any it's sides, excluding the top and bottom (position in which it was found). For the final section of artifact two, its most superior portion consists of two rectangular objects with rounded corners that are 2 feet long and 1 foot wide.  It is lying parallel to the south wall.  A large piece of fabric 6 feet wide and 8 feet long is purposefully laid to cover the entire surface of the middle component. I believe all three to be constructed from a man-made lightweight cotton blend of some kind as they do not show remarkable changes in pigment but maintain an even red color. The rectangular pieces are filled with feathers from some type of bird and weigh roughly a pound each, while the large fabric piece’s weight is estimated to be 2 pounds.

Artifact three was in the center of the surveyed area.  It was rectangular in shape, with dimensions of 6 feet wide and 8 feet long.  It is approximately 4 pounds in weight. The inferior surface is a tan plastic fabric blend of some type, apparent from the shiny rubber like circular spots present. The superior surface is covered in 2 inch long, very thin, vertically standing black plastic fibers that resemble fur of some type.

Lastly, located in the corner where the north and west wall meet was a small wooden sculpture standing 2 feet tall.  It was made from a square 2-inch by 2-inch dowel rod with strategically placed diagonal groves on all four sides that span the entire length of the dowel rod. Each grove contains one of four sized circular wooden discs with circumference measurements of 1 inch., 1.5 inches, 2 inches, and 2.5 inches, respectively. The discs varied in color depending on its size; the smallest disc was coated yellow, followed by orange, red, and the largest was blue. They were arranged with the smallest at the top and the largest at the bottom, producing a spiral effect.

 

             Upon concluding my investigation, it is my belief that this location was used to store precious objects, pray, and leave offerings for their gods. Artifact one may have been used to store religious ritualistic garments as evident by the few carefully placed and neatly folded garments remaining in the drawers. Its vertical reflective surface provides its user an opportunity to verify a presentable appearance before beginning religious activities. Artifact two is thought to be an alter for which gifts and offerings can be placed, or the dead could lay here during ceremonies. This conclusion is due to its higher elevation from the wood floor, the wood base’s decorative glossy finish, and the better quality of the red fabric covering.  I believe artifact three to be a prayer rug due to its location and the color contrast between it and the altar.  The vertical fibers offering cushion to the patron while kneeling in prayer or praise. Finally, artifact four may have been used in ceremony rituals to represent the variety of believers uniting in order achieve ascension into the heavens as each disc is independent from the next but reliant on the dowel for security.  They create the visually appealing spiral when all discs are present and in the correct location.

 

            While pretending to be an archaeologist from the distant planet Namreh sent to survey Earth was exciting it was also a mental work out of the imagination. While the scenario played out within this essay lacked unforeseen problems and complications the same cannot be said for real archaeological work. Archaeologists today can face problems when interpreting artifacts due to differences in cultural background, resulting in misconceptions of artifact purposes or meaning and its past owner. An example of which would be a White archaeologist from America interpreting a small hut in a developing country and misidentifies a small altar for a bed due to the fact that they themselves have never slept anywhere but in a bed. Another issue for archaeology is looting, which can be devastating to an archaeologist reliant on drawing from context clues for important historical information. According to Rebecca Sgouros: “An artifact can provide a large amount of information to an archaeologist. Its shape and physical features can tell them how it was used, as a cutting tool, for example, and the context in which it was found can provide further conclusions. If this cutting tool was found with animal bone, we might infer that hunting, butchering, or cooking activities had happened here.” Looting funds terrorist organizations and put archaeologists lives in danger, “The destruction and looting of Iraqi and Syrian cultural heritage are well documented. Experts agree that terrorist groups intend to obtain artifacts and other material culture to profit from an existing market for ancient Near Eastern art and antiquities, especially ancient coins” (Pineda). Vandalism and destruction are also large issues where archaeologists can only draw conclusions from what is present at a site. If artifacts are destroyed and removed from the site before the archaeologists have time to investigate and record their existence, then who is to say they ever existed. Dr. Christine Boston (2023) said, “Whoever controls the past ultimately can control the narrative of the present”. An example of trying to erase history by destroying its proof would be the Taliban governments deliberate destruction of Buddha statues in order to falsify the Islamic history in their favor and remove any evidence contradicting its claims. “When the Taliban announced their plan to destroy the statues in 2001, they had come under heavy international pressure to keep them standing. But, labeling them un-Islamic, the group brought the statues down using heavy explosives” (Joselow).

 

            Those ignorant of the past are destined to repeat its mistakes, which is one reason why archaeology is so important and should not be taken for granted. The work conducted by archaeologists gives scholars insight and knowledge from the past and its inhabitants.  Archaeologists must be able to draw from the evidence present around them, which is why preservation of the site's contents is so important.  Additionally, this information is critical in allowing archaeologists to be able to make unbiased conclusions.

           

                                                            Works cited.

 

Boston, C. E. & Lincoln University. (n.d.). Chapter 19: Materiality Constructing Social Relationships & Meanings With Things [Slide 4,11; Power point].].

Joselow, Gabe, and Rachel Elbaum. “The Taliban Destroyed Afghanistan’s Ancient Buddhas. Now They’re Welcoming Tourists.” NBCNews.Com, NBCUniversal News Group, 24 Nov. 2021, www.nbcnews.com/news/world/taliban-destroyed-afghanistans-ancient-buddhas-now-welcoming-tourists-rcna6307. 

Pineda, Sam. “Tackling Illicit Trafficking of Antiquities and Its Ties to Terrorist Financing - United States Department of State.” U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of State, 1 Dec. 2020, 2017-2021.state.gov/tackling-illicit-trafficking-of-antiquities-and-its-ties-to-terrorist-financing/. 

Sgouros, Rebecca. “How Archaeologists Study the Past.” Natick Historical Society, NATICK HISTORY MUSEUM, www.natickhistoricalsociety.org/how-archaeologists-study. Accessed 19 Nov. 2023.