Anthro Today
 Today:
 Archaeological Goals
 Objective: describe the goals of archaeological investigation
with the completion of class.
 Due:
 All work from beginning of anthro due today!
 Contemporary Artifact Paper (due Thursday)
Name one connection between prehistoric
and historic archaeology.
Archaeological Goals
Four Goals
 To generate information about the past
 To produce cultural histories
 To develop hypothetical explanations for the data observed
 To contribute to a broad, holistic understanding of what it is
to be human
Generate information about the past
 Discovering artifacts and sites
 Describing and classifying those artifacts and sites
Produce cultural histories
 Comparing and synthesizing data points across time and
space
Develop hypothetical explanations the
data observed
 Example: Incas irrigation system
Contribute to a broad, holistic
understanding of what it is to be human
 Religious practices
 Living norms
 Prison (incarceration patterns)
Apply your knowledge
 List an example from the movie for each goal that has been
achieved by these archaeologists.
 12,000 year old site