What This Document Is
This is the first practical exercise for an introductory archaeology course, designed to build foundational skills in archaeological analysis and interpretation. It centers around a simulated archaeological recovery – a flexed burial – and challenges you to apply core archaeological concepts to a specific case study. The exercise focuses on understanding how archaeological data is recorded, categorized, and used to formulate initial hypotheses about past human behavior. It’s a hands-on opportunity to move beyond definitions and engage with the complexities of interpreting the archaeological record.
Why This Document Matters
This exercise is crucial for students new to archaeology, particularly those enrolled in an introductory course like ANTHRO 190B at Washington University in St. Louis. It’s best utilized *after* initial lectures covering archaeological terminology and methods. Successfully completing this assignment will solidify your understanding of key concepts and prepare you for more advanced analytical work later in the course. It’s particularly helpful for students who learn best by doing and applying theory to real-world (or, in this case, simulated real-world) scenarios.
Common Limitations or Challenges
This exercise provides a specific dataset and asks you to work within its constraints. It does *not* offer a complete archaeological site report, nor does it provide definitive answers. The goal is to demonstrate your ability to think critically and apply archaeological principles, not to arrive at a single “correct” interpretation. It also doesn’t cover excavation techniques – it assumes a recovery has already been made. You will need to rely on the provided information and your understanding of archaeological concepts to formulate your responses.
What This Document Provides
* A detailed description of an archaeological recovery, including artifact and ecofact inventories.
* Contextual information regarding the recovery location and surrounding environment.
* A framework for classifying archaeological data into key categories (artifacts, ecofacts, features).
* A focus on understanding the importance of context – primary, secondary, and transformational processes.
* Prompts to encourage inferences about past technologies, economies, social structures, ideologies, and environments.
* Guidance on applying archaeological typologies and stages to the presented data.
