ANT 274 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Nabonidus, Data Recovery, John Frere
Document Summary
Textbook definition: the study of the material remains of human behavior through recovery and analysis. Not restricted to very historic areas (greece, egypt, etc): anywhere people lived in the past, archaeology can help us discover the nature of their lives. Not restricted to a certain time period. Not looking for jewels or treasures that will make you wealthy: majority of what has been dug up is trash. The extrasomatic means of adaptation. (beyond the body strategy for survival) Humans are the only species for whom cultures is the primary means by which it adapts to its surroundings. By analyzing material remains, archaeologists reveal the nature of past people"s strategies for survival. Today most people would agree that archaeology is the scientific pursuit of the past. They assess elements of the lives of people by reference to the material, archaeological record, and the stuff that people made, used, discarded, lost, or just generally left behind.
