WEEK NINE

2 Nov Mon     Is Archaeology Useful? Contemporary Environmental Issues

When asked why archaeology is important, people often respond with a variation on the famous quote by the philosopher George Santayana (1863-1952): “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” However, few people are able to come up with concrete examples of how the study of the past can be useful for our lives today. By the end of this class, I hope you will be better able to explain why archaeology is important and relevant to modern issues and peoples. I will discuss recent attempts to apply archaeology to ecological and environmental issues, such as global warming, endangered species, and environmental degradation.

 

Reading Assignment:

Minnis, Paul E. (2006). Answering the Skeptic’s Question. The SAA Archaeological Record 6(5):17-20.

 

Study Questions:

1.     Describe how archaeology can be useful and relevant to modern issues and peoples. (Note- this is essentially your task for Lab Assignment #3!).

2.     Provide concrete examples of how archaeology has been applied to contemporary environmental issues.

 

4 Nov Weds    Notable Corpses: Archaeology CSI

Thanks to advances in forensics, dead men do tell tales, and the new frontier of forensic archaeology (along with the virtually synonymous field of forensic anthropology) has become critical to the way crimes are solved and victims are treated, both on an individual and genocidal level. This lecture is a brief introduction to the field of forensic archaeology accompanied by a discussion of several ‘notable corpses’ - case studies that illustrate what we can learn from the archaeological excavation and analysis of human remains outside of forensic (=legal) contexts. The archaeological investigation of human remains can provide clues to how our ancestors lived and died, and also help us to understand the earth’s changing ecology and the evolution of killer diseases. Today’s topic is particularly relevant for assignment three, and some of the topics mentioned in the lecture are detailed in additional reading associated with that assignment.

 

Reading Assignment:

- Wingerson, L. “Dark History of the White Death.” Archaeology; Sep/Oct2009, Vol. 62 Issue 5, p. 43-47. This article is not on e-reserve; you need to obtain it online through URI’s full text journal databases.

- Pringle, H. “Witness to Genocide,” Archaeology Jan/Feb 2009, Vol. 62, issue 1, p. 28-65. This article is not on e-reserve; you need to obtain it online through URI’s full text journal databases.

 

Study Questions:

1.     What is ‘Forensic Archaeology’? What is taphonomy?

2.     What critical legal points did the archaeological evidence from the Muthanna mass grave help to prove in the trials of Saddam Hussein and his top advisors, enabling prosecutors to secure their conviction for genocide and crimes against humanity? Your answer should be detailed and specific.

3.    What two primary categories of evidence were used by archaeologists to suggest that the Neolithic town of Atlit-Yam in Israel suffered from a TB epidemic?

4.     Why is it of interest to osteoarchaeologist Mark Spigelman that among the 18^th century mummies found in the Hungarian town of Vac, there were instances where “a father and son lived to a ripe old age while the mother and daughters died of TB” (Wingerson 2009: 47)?

5.     How was Ötzi (the Iceman) found? What was found with him?

6.     Why was Ötzi so well preserved?

7.     What analyses have been done on Ötzi since he was recovered? What have we learned about his life and death?

 

Nov. 6 Friday     The Fringe Frontier: Exposing Pseudoarchaeology

 

Reading Assignment:

- There is no reading assignment for this lecture.

 

Study Questions:

1.   What is pseudoarchaeology and what are the three main categories of pseudoarchaeology?

2.   Why do archaeologists consider pseudoarchaeology to be harmful? Why does it matter if vocational ‘scholars’ are successful in promoting alternative theories about humanity’s past to the non-specialist public?

3.   Give an example of a widely accepted theory from the realm of pseudoarchaeology and explain how and why it has gained a popular following.