Drawing Clues from Archaeology

 Archaeologists attempting to piece together the past from poetry shards and piles of stones. They dig into the earth---a process known as excavating’searching for artifacts (objects) from an ancient people and try to date and figure the significance of these artifacts. Context is critical to understanding the significance of artifacts. This determined by the position of excavated objects compared to other objects and the remains of buildings and other structures.

 Archaeologists seek out trash dumps, which often contain vital clues to unmasking everyday life. The fact that archaeologists are much more skilled at gleaning large amounts of information from ancients scraps that previously would have been discarded has meant that process of excavating take much longer. Ancient people rarely threw out what was valuable to them. Things like jewelry and crafts are often found in graves but they have often already been taken by graverobbers and looters.

 Most of things that we know about everyday life in ancient times has been determined by looking at scenes depicted on vases, examining tools, remains and artifacts left at archaeological sites and drawing clues from literary and historical texts.

 The age of an individual died can be determined by looking at the knitting of the suture on the cranium, which closes as people age, and by noting how worn the teeth are. Children can be aged by which teeth have emerged from the jaw. Pitted tooth enamel is an indicator or starvation and malnutrition. The easiest way to determine sex is by examining the pelvic bones. Females have large round openings, large enough to accommodate the head of a baby. Males have a heart-shaped opening.

Nature of Archaeological Evidence

 
David Silverman of Reed College wrote: “What kinds of questions does archaeological evidence answer? It tells us certain things definitively: where people lived; what kinds of houses they lived in; how many of their houses were clustered together (in other words, the size of their villages) and how close or far apart from one another they lived; what they ate (based upon the analysis of animal and fish bones in their garbage heaps); how they disposed of dead people; and what kinds of implements they used, especially pottery, stone objects, and weapons. There are some other kinds of questions about which archaeology gives us clues but no definitive answers.

 “The laws of physics determine what sort of objects survive in the ground through centuries of time. Dry climates and sandy soils preserve delicate materials better than wet climates and muddy soils; this is why the vast majority of preserved papyrus fragments from classical antiquity come from the dry sands of Egypt. The possibility of preservation also depends on the material. Wooden objects and wooden structures in most circumstances do not survive very long (although wood does survive better in wet conditions than dry, and the wooden hulls of ships are sometimes preserved for thousands of years under the sea floor). ^*^

 “Many buildings in antiquity had stone foundations (which do survive) and wooden superstructures (which do not). Neither do paints last; the temples and other public buildings which we are used to thinking of as being the color of marble were in fact brightly painted, as were marble statues. Metal objects have a better chance of surviving; a relatively small number of bronze and iron objects have survived from antiquity, often in a state of advanced corrosion. In particular circumstances (such as if the ground is frozen, or the item is sealed in an airtight container) cloth or leather items may survive." 8^*

Archaeology Techniques

 Archaeologists crawl, kneel and laboriously brush away dirt with a brush from objects they unearth. Soil, sand and excavated material are sifted through screen to retrieve small artifacts.

 Archaeologists often dig a series of trial trenches to figure out the best places to excavate. Photographs are taken of each phase of the work for future reference. Soil is sifted so that small objects are not overlooked. When something is found it is often swept with a brush and removed with a trowel so it doesn't break.

 Artifacts are brought into workshops are catalogued. Delicate objects are restored in situ. Other objects are restored in the work room or laboratory. Bronzes and other objects are often restored with distilled water, which does not remove the patina (the thin coating that forms on stone, ceramic or metal over centuries). The patina us often checked to determine whether an object is real or fake. Pots are restored by removing old varnished made from glues made from animal hooves and applying sealants that do not become discolored.