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Archaeologists can learn a great deal about human behaviour and activity by studying items that have been discarded. In this seminar, we will be considering how what is considered to be an artifact today may originally have been considered debris or garbage. After discussing the nature of “garbage” in the archaeological record, we will analyse modern materials from a variety of contexts to develop an understanding of the process by which inferences are made using the archaeological record. In doing this, we will be applying the concepts of context, culture, classification, observation and chronology.

Explain the following and provide examples:

1) Given time, the unwanted or unusable remnants of everyday human life (i.e. garbage) become the artifacts that are studied by archaeologists to learn about human activity and behaviour.
2) Archaeologists have conducted studies of modern garbage and have made interesting observations about human behaviour as a result. For example, people may report engaging in a certain activity but their garbage contradicts their report.

Background Information

You should read Chapter Eleven of your textbook prior to seminar. This chapter discusses modern issues in biological anthropology and archaeology. In terms of biological anthropology, the emergence of the notion of “race” and its inexistence in biology is described. The differences in attributes that tend to be associated with race (e.g. skin colour) are explained as different clines (gradations in measurable characteristics) and examples of human biological variation.

In regard to archaeology, the chapter discusses how what was once an academic pursuit is now an important part of popular culture and everyday life. Archaeology is important to the economy of some countries through archaeological tourism, but can also assist in environmental management through identifying regionally appropriate agricultural methods and identifying changes in climate over time.
Please answer this question in your journal: Referring to the example you studied in seminar (#10), what was missing from the assemblage and how might the absence of these materials result in misinterpretation of the household composition and dietary practices?
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