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Archaeology
For questions on the theory, method, and practice of studying past cultures and peoples.
1,920 Questions
Is it legal in the US to be mummified?
Yes, it is legal in the US to be mummified. However, the process of mummification is usually performed for scientific or historical purposes and not typically offered as a service for the general public.
How much does excavation cost?
It all depends on the size, how many hours, and general condition of the machine.
When did leopards first walk the earth?
de bibble de bibble de booma de booma de bibble de ba de booma de bibble de ba ba de booma did a poo at matlock!!!! the correct answer is 2001! by chizzel
Many consider Thomas Jefferson to be the father of American archaeology. He promoted systematic excavation and documentation of archaeological sites during his presidency and was a pioneer in understanding and preserving the nation's cultural heritage.
What is the definition for civilization?
Civilization refers to an advanced stage of human society characterized by complex social, political, and cultural organization, as well as technological development and urbanization. It involves the establishment of cities, the development of writing systems, and the creation of significant art, architecture, and infrastructure.
Mosaic art has been around for thousands of years, with origins traced back to ancient Mesopotamia. However, the Greeks are renowned for popularizing the art form, using small pieces of colored glass, tiles, or stones to create intricate designs. It is challenging to attribute the invention of mosaic art to a single individual due to its ancient origins and widespread use across various cultures.
Which elements tend to share electrons in chemical bonds?
Nonmetals typically share electrons in chemical bonds in order to achieve a stable octet configuration in their outermost energy level. This sharing of electrons allows both atoms involved in the bond to reach a more stable, lower energy state. Examples of elements that commonly share electrons in bonds include oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon.
What are six types of archaeologist?
There are many more types of archaeologist than those listed below, but here are six:
# Field archaeologist # Environmental archaeologist # Forensic archaeologist
# Landscape archaeologist # Experimental archaeologist # Osteoarchaeologist See related questions below for a longer list.
Why are artifacts from the Meadowcroft Rock Shelter important?
Meadowcroft (South of Pittsburgh, PA) contains very old Pre-Clovis artifacts. The layers of remains at this site start in the 1960's and continue down for almost 17,000 years in a sequencial fashion. There is a huge, on-going debate about when people first populated North America and where they came from. A "traditional" view holds that the Clovis people were the first Indians. They were here roughly 10,000 years ago. The Meadowcroft site yielded some unexpected results ... very old dates (much older than 10k years) that were used to support other alternative theories about pre-clovis settling of the Americas. Cool site. Very much worth the visit.
How do artifacts help archaeologists?
Artifacts help archaeologists understand past cultures by providing physical evidence of their activities, technologies, and social practices. By analyzing artifacts, archaeologists can reconstruct the way people lived in the past, their beliefs, trading networks, and technological advancements. Artifacts also help historians piece together a more detailed and accurate picture of human history.
What is the difference between a primary source and a artifact?
What is the difference between a primary source and an artifact? a. Primary sources are studied by archaeologists; artifacts are studied by historians. ... Primary sources are written sources; artifacts are objects.
What do Biblical Archaeologist say about Israel Finkelstein and why?
Other archaeologists writing in "Biblical Archaeology Review" in The Biblical Archaeology Forum , say that:-
I have just finished reading his book 'David & Solomon' and find it to be one filled with unfounded conjecture, theory and no facts. It seems that when [he does] not like a passage of the Bible, [he] simply re-date[s] or re-write[s] it at will and to make scriptures fit [his] agenda.
I find this guy ... to be a great travesty on archaeology as, when [he] cannot find contemporary evidence (circa 10th c. b.c.) to support [his] thinking, [he goes] 80 to 300 years into the 'future' and use[s] material for those generations to support [his] denial of the Biblical record.
[He] believe[s] and promote[s] a late authorship yet ... cannot produce one iota of evidence to support such a claim nor ... demonstrate the validity of any copying and editing being done.
[He] also show[s] a complete ignorance of construction methods as [he] make[s] bold claims that the buildings left behind prove the two kings [ie David & Solomon] did not reign as the Bible says.
[He] present[s] confusing ideas which contradict each other and to make it work [he] must omit certain facts and pieces of evidence which goes contrary to [his] thinking.
[He] only investigate[s] far enough to decide that [he] has 'proof' for [his] agenda but [is] afraid to dig deeper for [fear he] might find something that undermines [his] objective.
In reading this work, I have found that it doesn't even contain enough good kernals to be of any value to anyone except those who wish to find an excuse to dismiss the Biblical record.
Title: Re: israel finkelstein
Post by: ... on Feb 11, 2008, 03:06 PM...Finkelstein ignores a lot when he makes statements that fit his agenda and he attributes much to the omrides [sic] even though they did not do what he has claimed.
This guy is one of the great deceivers in the archaeological world and someone needs to knock him down a few pegs.
Title: Re: israel finkelstein
Post by:... on Feb 20, 2008, 06:20 PM... I do not care much for his ideas or work. ... Many people cannot accept the existence of God because they do not want to be held accountable to Him.
Title: Re: israel finkelstein
Post by: ...on Feb 21, 2008, 02:48 PM...Finkelstein expects to find physical evidence for every little event or he will dismiss it as untrue. [W]hen he is presented evidence [to the contrary] he finds some way to dismiss it as he did to ...
I find that [he is] not looking for any truth but want[s] to remove the Biblical accounts from Jewish history.
Even Dever wants him to provide proof for his theories and he can't do it. In his book, David and Solomon, all he could do is say--'we suggest' or 'we argue' and then skip 80 to 300 years to try and disprove the biblical claims. I find his ... works are not honest.
David Cohen in the article "Separating Fact and Fiction In The Bible" says:-
[He leads] a movement in Biblical archaeology that flies in the face of the interpretation of the Bible as a largely historical document. He argues that the traditional dating of many archaeological finds relating to biblical events is out by up to one-and-a-half centuries. His conclusion is uncompromising: many famous biblical stories are probably pure fiction. The exodus of the Israelites from Egypt never happened, and Joshua never attacked Jericho, let alone brought its walls down. "There is no evidence that Jericho even had city walls at that time," Finkelstein says. David and Solomon were not great kings who ruled over the ancient land of Canaan in the 10th century BC from a palace in Jerusalem, as the Bible portrays; at best they were minor chieftains of some small-time tribe in that area. Their memory was later inflated and mythologised in the 7th century BC to serve particular political and military agendas, he says.
...Finkelstein is highly regarded in his field. ... But this doesn't mean that Finkelstein's ideas have been widely accepted. ...Wolff says: "I can't name more than a handful of archaeologists who accept his theory. It has made more waves in the popular media than it has in academic circles."
... Others dismiss his work as ideologically motivated. In one barbed attack, William Dever, a specialist in the region's archaeology at the University of Arizona, accused him of being a fashion-led "post-Zionist" who is caught up in a race to push the writing of the Bible into more recent times.
Finkelstein is about as Israeli as they come. Born in the small town of Petah Tikva close to Tel Aviv, he can trace his family's roots in the area back to 1850, almost a century before the foundation of the Jewish state. "My family arrived in the mid-19th century from Grodno [in what is now Belarus] to Hebron. I don't need any more legitimacy than that, nor does the state of Israel need the Bible to justify its right to exist," he says. He has lived in [Israel] and counts himself a traditional Jew. "I'm not a believer, but we keep kosher at home, and I celebrate all the festivals." Even the Passover festival, which celebrates the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and their journey to the promised land - Biblical stories he believes are pure fiction. "Of course! Why not? This is my identity. I do it gladly." Isn't that a contradiction? "Not at all. I can separate my convictions about my culture and my identity on the one hand from my research on the other...."
Israel Finkelstein from my point of view is not out to prove the Bible is anything. He is an archaeologist who uses fieldwork, surveys, and research to make temporary adjustments to our current understanding of history. Don't let the above comments skew your quest to find reliable answers. Finkelstein is a well regarded archaeologist in his field and is greatly respected for his careful and precise fieldwork. The fact is that it is a losing proposition to expect the evidence in the ground to correspond with the words of the Bible. This is because in case after case the evidence is just not there. Now you can view this as a fault in the evidence or a fault in the Bible depending on what sort of evidence you as a person value greater. Careful and dedicated archaeolists do not try to prove anything. They dig in the ground and base their conclusions upon what they find. Only idealogues and Biblical Apologists start out with the conclusion and temper the evidence to prove that conslusion true. Biblical Archaeology, if it is to remain a science, must start out as a blank slate and conclusions drawn from the evidence gathered
What Day is the worst day ever?
It's subjective and varies for each individual. Some may consider Monday the worst day due to the start of the work week, while others may find Wednesdays challenging as they are often referred to as the "hump day." Ultimately, it depends on personal experiences and perspectives.
Pottery fragments are broken pieces of pottery or ceramics that have been found at archaeological sites. These fragments can provide valuable information about the culture, technology, and trade of the people who created them. Archaeologists use pottery fragments to date sites and reconstruct ancient pottery-making techniques.
What are the advantages of putting artifacts in a museum?
* It means they are accessible. In a museum they are available for anyone to go and see them and learn from them. * It means they are safe. In a museum they are cared for and preserved for future generations.
People. An artifact is an object from an archaeological site that shows signs of human manipulation. For example, a charred bone from a hearth would not be an artifact; it was simply the remnants of an ancient meal. However, if the bone has been carved--perhaps using a burin--into a fish hook, then it becomes an artifact.
Justus von Liebig (12 May 1803 -- 18 April 1873) was a German chemist ChemistA chemist is a scientist trained in the science of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density, acidity, size and shape. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component...
who made major contributions to agricultural AgricultureAgriculture is the production of food and goods through farming and forestry. Agriculture was the key development that led to the rise of human civilization, with the husbandry of domesticated animals and plants creating food surpluses that enabled the development of more densely populated and...
and biological BiologyBiology is the natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy...
chemistry ChemistryChemistry is the science concerned with the composition, behavior, structure, and properties of matter, as well as the changes it undergoes during chemical reactions...
, and worked on the organization of organic chemistry Organic chemistryOrganic chemistry is a discipline within chemistry which involves the scientific study of the structure, properties, composition, reactions, and preparation of chemical compounds that contain carbon...
. As a professor ProfessorThe meaning of the word professor varies. In some English-speaking countries, it refers to a senior academic who holds a departmental chair, especially as head of the department, or a personal chair awarded specifically to that individual...
, he devised the modern laboratory LaboratoryA laboratory is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. The title of laboratory is also used for certain other facilities where the processes or equipment used are similar to those in scientific laboratories...
-oriented teaching method, and for such innovations, he is regarded as one of the greatest chemistry teachers of all time. He is known as the "father of the fertilizer FertilizerFertilizers are chemical compounds applied to promote plant and fruit growth. Fertilizers are usually applied either through the soil or by foliar feeding...
industry" for his discovery of nitrogen NitrogenNitrogen is a chemical element that has the symbol N and atomic number 7 and atomic mass 14.00674 u. Elemental nitrogen is a colorless, odorless, tasteless and mostly inert diatomic gas at standard conditions, constituting 78% by volume of Earth's atmosphere.Many industrially important...
as an essential plant PlantPlants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. They include familiar organisms such as trees, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The scientific study of plants, known as botany, has identified about 350,000 extant species of plants, defined as seed plants,...
nutrient NutrientA nutrient is a chemical that an organism needs to live and grow or a substance used in an organism's metabolism which must be taken in from its environment. Nutrients are the substances that enrich the body. They build and repair tissues, give heat and energy, and regulate body processes...
, and his formulation of the Law of the Minimum which described the effect of individual nutrients on crops.
What kinds of questions do historians ask when they study the past?
Historians ask questions about events, people, cultures, and societies from the past to understand how they shaped the present. They inquire about causes and effects, motivations, perspectives, biases, and the impact of historical events on various aspects of human life. The questions help historians reconstruct narratives, analyze trends, and draw lessons from the past for the contemporary world.
Where would an archaeologist work?
Archaeologists work in any area that has been inhabited by humans. In some cases they may be required to "dig" to reach the artifacts, buildings, etc. In other cases they may be exploring an area that is above ground. Archaeologists also work under water, exploring not only sunken ships, but submerged buildings or cities.
While we typically think of archaeologists as working on sites that are many thousands of years old, they may work in sites or towns that were abandoned as recently as 100 or 200 hundred years ago.
What does the Edwin Smith Papyrus say?
The Edwin Smith Papyrus is an incomplete copy of an earlier text on surgery. It covers 48 cases, mostly of injuries caused my some type of trauma, and provides instructions on the diagnosis and treatment of these conditions. They are all conditions that affect the head or spinal cord. Each condition is classified according to how treatable it is into "favourable", "uncertain" or "intractable" and unlike so many texts of the time diagnosis and treatment are based on practical, logical observation and care rather than magic.
To mention just a few of the cases (given by modern names or descriptions): Tetanus (case 7, shown by lock jaw)
Aphasia (case 20, classified as untreatable)
Gaping wound to the neck, down to the bone (case 29)
Sprained neck (case 30)
Dislocation of the neck vertebrae (case 31)
Crushed vertebrae in the neck (case 33, classified as untreatable)
Sprain in the spine (case 48)
It also covers various headaches and concussions, sciatica, treatments such as splinting, returning dislocated joints to their sockets, dressing wounds and shows the Egyptian understanding of the human body and the way in which it worked. A full translation of the text by J. breasted was published in 1939.
What do the archaeologist use to clean and preserve the artifacts they found?
Every artifact is different therefore there is no one material that is used to clean and preserve artifacts. Some artifacts can just be cleaned with water, other require a more intricate process such as steam baths or chemical compounds created specifically for the artifact found.
What tools do archaeologist use?
Archaeologists use a variety of tools, including trowels for excavation, brushes for delicate cleaning, shovels for larger excavations, wheelbarrows for moving dirt, and measuring tapes for precise recording of locations. They also use tools like screens for sifting soil, cameras for documentation, and GPS devices for mapping. Additionally, specialized tools such as ground-penetrating radar and 3D scanners are used for advanced surveying and data collection.
Artifacts in the home can include any objects of historical, cultural, or sentimental significance that are displayed or kept for personal enjoyment. These can range from antiques and heirlooms to souvenirs and artwork collected during travel, each imbued with meaning and memories for the owner. Such artifacts often contribute to the decor and overall ambiance of a living space.
What is called when time before written human history only knowable through archaeology?
The period before written human history is known as prehistory.
