Abstract
This paper looks at the discoveries of archaeologists of the first civilization in the Louisiana area. It discusses the geography of the time, the history of investigation, influences from other cultures, ceremonial findings and material culture that have been discovered by archaeologists.

From the Paper
"It is thought that man first arrived in Louisiana around 10,000 B.C. The delta of the Mississippi River began to form around 5,000 B.C., and man did not arrive in present day Jefferson Parish until about 500 B.C. The pre-history of human habitation in the delta region can be divided into five major cultural periods: Tchefuncte, Marksville, Troyville, Coles Creek, and the Plaquemine Period. In the lower Mississippi valley, all cultural activity on a Hopewellian horizon is historically subsumed under the term "Marksville". Beginning somewhere around 100 B.C., the resident Tchefuncte cultural system began to spread around the lower Mississippi valley. The Marksville Period overlaps with the end of the Tchefuncte spanning from around 200 B.C. to around 100 A.D. The Marksville culture spread into Louisiana from the Ohio Valley bringing primitive agriculture. The cultural changes are best seen in ceramics, which closely represent certain Hopewellian pottery of the Illinois valley, and mortuary practices, such as burial mounds. These cultural changes are from which the Marksville culture came to light. The time frame of the culture is 100B.C. to A.D. 400. The Troyville period succeeded the Marksville period from about A.D. 500 to about A.D. 1100. The Troyville culture is somewhat indistinctly defined and represents a transition between the Marksville Period and the later Coles Creek and Plaquemine Periods."

Tags:anthropology, archeology, hopewell, marksville, tchefuncte

Abstract
This paper defines zoo-archaeology and faunal analysis as the scientific study of animal remains from archaeological sites. This paper presents three case studies which illustrate the practical use of animal remains in aiding archaeologists to understand the past. The writer of this paper proves that it is possible via faunal analysis to establish such findings as diet, social status, religion and trade. The writer contends and explains how the study of animal remains is an effective and productive method of discovering more about the interaction between people and animals throughout history. This paper also contains an illustrative graph relevant to this particular topic.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
Definition and Background
Case Studies
Conclusion
References Cited

From the Paper
"Hierakonpolis is a collection of sites dating from the Palaeolithic period through to the Roman period with the HK-6 site being a cemetery. It is the HK-6 site Warman investigates with some interesting finds.
The first point Warman makes regarding HK-6 is it appears animal bones have been deliberately preserved and buried at the site alongside human remains. One such specimen found at HK-6 is of a Bos or cow. Information obtained from the remains is of significance when related to past activities of people at HK-6. Warman states it is the manner in which the remains are preserved and buried that is of special interest in relation to the religious significance past people placed on the site."

Tags:history, animals, human, anthropology, science

Abstract
This paper examines the controversy that exists over the "Elgin Marbles", which were originally part of the Greek Parthenon's frieze, that were taken by Lord Elgin of England in the late 18th century. The paper takes the position that the statues and other artifacts which currently are housed in English museums, are the rightful property of the Greek people and should be returned to Greece. The paper is divided into several sections. The first gives a history of the Elgin Marbles and how they came into possession of the English in the first place. A brief history of the Parthenon is also given in this section, with a detailed examination of the architecture and the ancient politics that surrounded its construction. The paper then spans the history of the Parthenon up until the 18th century, including the building losing its roof and several architectural designs due to the Ottoman Turks using it as an armory during their control of Greece. The paper discusses how British archaeologists claimed the pieces in the 1800s, fearful that the Greeks could not maintain such classical pieces of work. The paper ends with a section discussing the latest improvements that are underway in Greece to house the "Elgin Marbles" if an international agreement can be reached that will send the pieces of the Parthenon back to Athens. The concept of Greek pride and honor in their ancient ancestry is discussed and how originally, when Greece was unable to maintain such pieces, the idea to keep them in England was the correct decision to be made.

From the Paper
"The mere thought of The Parthenon evokes an image of dignity and pride for not only the current Greek citizens who look upon their ancient ancestors with honor, but for the entirety of Western civilization who view The Parthenon as a representation of the greatness that can be achieved by Western culture. Using this Western concept of pride as a basis, it is clear to see why the British government has its roots in claiming that the treasures of the Parthenon would be better served in a more upscale environment such as The British Museum rather then an unfinished Acropolis museum in Athens. Nevertheless, the removal of The Parthenon artifacts, which are known as The Elgin Marbles since the works of art were "purchased" by the English noble Lord Thomas Bruce of Elgin in 1801, was in essence an infraction upon the Greek populace's right to their ancestors' culture. In large part due to the importance of The Parthenon and the culture that it represents to Greece, the rightful place of the Elgin Marbles is in Athens where the pieces of architecture were always intended to remain when they were completed. "

Tags:architecture, art, lord, pericles, persian, wars

Abstract
This paper explains that the most "extreme" theories say that either Atlantis was no more than a figment of Plato's vast imagination or that the "lost city" was real in every respect. The author points out that the lost city has been rumored to have existed in the Caribbean Sea, in the Mediterranean Sea, in the Atlantic Ocean, in the Aegean Sea and even in the Arctic Ocean. The paper supports another theory, which seems more than likely, states that Plato's epic story was little more than an exaggeration of an historic event: the sinking of Thera, a small island in the Aegean Sea, after a series of massive earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

From the Paper
"Thera is again likened to Atlantis through its technological level, which was supposedly much more advanced than other civilizations of the era. According to Plato's Critias (which was actually named after his grandfather), Atlantis was "set apart from other [civilizations] with their countless new contrivances and concepts." This technological power made Atlantis a ruling class, and closely resembles the Minoan culture. The Minoans were a supposedly advanced people who were some of the first to make many uses of the wheel and keystone concepts."

Tags:poseidon, thera, location, time-scale, punishment

Abstract
This paper examines the relationship between Nok art and the long lost culture. It explains that the tragedy of looting and the loss of cultural/archaeological context for surviving artifacts has made a true exploration of the Nok history extremely difficult and speculative. It concludes that what can be known for certain is that, prior to 500 B.C.E, at a time when Africa was once thought to be completely plagued by intellectual darkness, there existed a civilization with the ability to create advanced and symbolic relics of a civilization where hierarchy, art, and science prevailed.

From the Paper
"The second vein of interpretation is based on surrounding tribes. For example, Gillan takes this tactic when he writes: "A number of heads and bodies, depicting deformities or ailments (similar to diseases portrayed in Ibibio masks), may well have been used for magico-medical purposes" (66) Taking this approach, there seem to be indications that the statues were used for a variety of religious purposes. Surrounding tribes in Benin have frequently used lifelike statues, not unlike the terra cottas found in Nok, as part of ancestral altars through which they either invoked the spirits of their ancestors or prayed for them. Statues may also have been used as representations of the divine. There are other options as well. They could have been used with funeral ceremonies, ancestor cults or other religious rituals. They might have been conceived as representations of chiefs--though not as their portraits--or as mythical beings and spirits... Others may have served as grave figures ...charms and fertility amulets, possibly worn as pendents. (Gillan, 66) Most surrounding cultures have been polytheistic/animistic and either worship or placate a wide range of deities. "Janus figures" found in Nok may have been used like those in surrounding cultures, to "express the male/female duality of human nature." (Gillan, 66) Additionally, even today ceramic figures are used as finials on many roofs and shrines, and Gillan speculates that terra cotta figures might have taken this place centuries before."

Tags:artifacts, science, civilization, africa

Abstract
By providing an in-depth description of what was found in the Shrines of Tutankhamen, the writer examines general Egyptian history of the era and of Tutankhamen's reign. The paper also explores the shrines from an artistic perspective.

From the Paper
"Tutankhamun was one of the youngest kings in Egypt, but his tomb was one of the most detailed and beautiful tombs in all of Egypt. No one knows why such a young king was buried in such an elaborate tomb. It is hard to imagine what the young king must have been like in his years. He lived a very short life and died in 1323 B.C.

?From a dry, dusty, Upper Egyptian valley in the year 1922, the news of the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun flashed around the world and excited the imaginations of all who heard it.? On November 4th, 1922, the Tomb of Tutankhamun was found hidden beneath the foundations of Ramesses workmen's huts. They were near the entrance of the tomb of Ramesses VI. The discovery of the tomb was made by Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter."

Tags:art, history, shrines, tomb, egypt, ancient, antechamber, Ramesses, discovery, archeologist

From the Paper
"During the winter of 1963-1964, world renound archaeologist, Yigael Yadin, led an excavation of Mt. Masada. In a research paper, published at Hebrew University, by Hershel Shanks, one of the archaeologist at Masada, three questions are asked that may discredit the events at Mt. Masada: 1) If the Jews did commit suicide, then where are their bodies?, 2) If Titus was a by the book general, then why did the Romans not storm the fort upon breaking through the wall?, 3) If Flavius Josephus was not present to witness the events, then how can we trust his account? These questions are hard to answer, because the only sources that we have are the writings of Josephus and the results of the excavations at Masada. To analyze the events of Masada we have no choice, but to use some speculation to bring all of the information together for a reasonable conclusion."

Tags:eleazar, jewish, jews, masada, revolt, roman, siege, titus, yadin

Abstract
There are many techniques for dating within the field of archaeology, one of these methods is the The K-Ar (Potassium-Argon) method which has been a vast success within the field of geology. This paper examines how it works and what methods are used to glean the date from archaeological artifacts and remains.

From the Paper
"It is possible to date rocks with a low potassium content such as basalts in this way. Sadly the dates are not always secure due to the behavior of the geochemicals of the parent and daughter elements as they are likely to being disturbed by geological events such as weathering or reheating that normally take place during the formation of a rock. Potassium argon dating allows scientists to date volcanic rocks between two billion and 100,000 years old."

Tags:carbon, dating, geology, rocks, igneous, volcanic

Abstract
In 1912, Charles Dawson, an amateur archaeologist, revealed to some of his scientific friends that he had found a curious skull in a gravel pit near Piltdown, England. The case of the Piltdown Man turned out to be one of the greatest hoaxes of the 20th century. The paper shows that, allegedly, the unearthing of these fragments was proof that man evolved from apes. The human brain case and the ape-like jaw fit the theory of the day, which held that the brain would evolve faster than the body. The ruse was to create the "missing link" and thus prove Darwin's theory. The paper traces the events of the forgery and its implications on the scientific world after it was discovered to be a hoax. The paper includes illustrations.

From the Paper
"In conclusion, The Piltdown Forgery was a deception with far reaching tentacles. Whether it was Dawson, Hinton, Theilhard or Woodward, the effects of this deception still cast doubts on legitimate archeological finds. This however is advantageous for both the anthropological and archeological communities. It requires science to base its discoveries on pure science rather than raw emotion. The moral of Piltdown is that science is fallible and human passions sometimes overshadow the facts. Occasionally, science does not always take the most direct route in fulfilling its aim of understanding nature."

Tags:fakes, fraud, skull, Woodward

Abstract
"Friedrich Wilhelm Deichmann was an archaeologist and art historian whose primary interest was the study of early Christianity. Deichmann's many publications cover various topics in early Christian and Byzantine archaeology, including sarcophagi, mosaics, architecture, and painting.

From the Paper
"Friedrich Wilhelm Deichmann was an archaeologist and art historian whose primary interest was the study of early Christianity. Deichmann's many publications cover various topics in early Christian and Byzantine archaeology, including sarcophagi, mosaics, architecture, and painting. His studies also encompassed facets of early Christian art and architecture throughout the late Roman and Byzantine empires--ranging from Nubia and northern Syria to Rome, Venice, Constantinople, and, especially, Ravenna. Deichmann was--at different times in his career--a studious cataloguer of primary data, an accomplished interpreter of historical and iconographic meanings, and an important explicator of scholarly and scientific method in the field of early Christian archaeology.

Deichmann was born in the German city of Jena in December ..."