1920’s
Archaeology became a fully fledged scientific discipline.
Charles Darwin
Early American Archaeology
Earliest American settlers
They debate the origin of American Indians.
1880’s
Archaeologists and anthropologists study Pueblo Indians as direct descendants of the first people in America.
1890’s
Cyrus Thomas of the Bureau of American Ethnology proves the “Moundbuilders” were indeed Native Americans.
1817
Danish archaeologist Christian Jurgensen Thomsen opened the National Museum of Antiquities in Copenhagen to the public.
1859 Origin of Species.
Darwin publishes his book.
Archaeology Terms
Question-based: Archaeologists study artifacts in order to answer questions about how humans lived.
Past: Archaeologists study human cultures that are no longer living. Culture: Any learned behavior that is shared with others.
History of Archaeology
The first archaeologists
Antiquarians or wealthy collectors of artifacts
Christian Jurgensen Thomsen
Early Archaeology
It was a combination of several other sciences concerned with the evolution of man.
What Is Archaeology?
Archaeology is one of four sub-disciplines of Anthropology. Anthropology is the study of people and their biology and culture across space and time. Anthropology Subdisciplines:
Archaeology
Photo from my work at Mammoth Cave National Park.
Archaeologists DO NOT:
Study dinosaurs. Just look for pretty or valuable objects. Just pick up artifacts. Spend all their time just digging. Buy, sell, or put a price on artifacts.
Technology, subsistence, exchange, settlement, social organization, ideology, etc.
Dny
Academic Goals of Archeology
Culture History
Sequence of events How artifacts change over time Explain why events happened.
Lifeways Reconstruction
Systematic: A consistent way of studying anything. Science: Methods and knowledge of studying anything. Recovery/ Analysis: To collect and study artifacts. Artifact: Any item resulting from human activity.
Archaeology Cultural Anthropology Linguistic Anthropology Biological or Physical Anthropology
Archaeology
Culture
Speech & Language
Biology of Man
What Is Archaeology?
Indian burial mound in Georgia.
Modern Scientific Archaeology
1960’s
The invention of modern scientific excavation techniques Using a multidisciplinary approach to study people. Increasing impact of science on archaeology Refinement of archaeological theory.
Archaeology is the systematic, scientific recovery and analysis of artifacts in order to answer questions about past human culture and behavior.
Archaeology Terms