Archaeological Inquiry

Question 1

Archaeology Definition

Answer 1

Study of human behaviour through examination of the material remains of the past.

Question 2

Archaeological Record

Answer 2

Collective material remains left by past populations.

Question 3

Three main goals of archaeology

Answer 3

1. construct cultural history
2. reconstruct ancient life ways
3. explain cultural change

Question 4

Three approaches to archaeology

Answer 4

1. Cultural Historians: empirical approach, inductive reasoning
2. New Archaeology: scientific and hypothesis testing, deductive reasoning, positivistic laws
3. Post Processual: relativism; there is inherent bias in the way we form questions, what data we identify to be important and the answers we expect. Archaeology shouldn’t be used to find the truth about the past, but rather generate many interpretations that can help us understand the past. Abandon casual relationships.

Question 5

Hawke’s Hierarchy of Archaeological Inference

Answer 5

1. techniques
2. subsistence/economics
3. social/political
4. religious and spiritual life

Question 6

Michael Schiffer

Answer 6

First to make the distinction between cultural processes (C-transforms) and natural processes (N-transforms) that transform the archaeological record since it was abandoned.