Abstract This paper looks at the field of archeology and how it has evolved over the years. The author uses Mayan culture as a case study in order to illustrate the advances that have been made in archeology over the centuries. A brief history of archeology in North America is given before detailing the process that the archaeologists used in uncovering the history of the Mayans. It discusses the tools the archaeologists have changed because of scientific advances, and how this has disproved many of the early theories about Mayan culture.
From the Paper "Early excavators and scholars of Mayan life also determined that intimately linked to Mayan religion was the impressive development of astronomical studies ans mathematics, including the use of zero. Mayan astronomy underlay a complex calendrical system that featured an accurately determined solar year (18 months of 20 days, plus an unlucky 5-day period), a sacred year of 260 days (13 cycles of 20 named days), and a variety of longer cycles culminating in the Long Count, based on a zero date in 3114 BC. Mayan astronomers compiled precise tables of positions for the Moon and Venus and were able to predict solar eclipses."
Abstract This paper discusses how the use of archaeological and historical data as a tool of the state has a long and illustrious history and how in many cases it seems possible that the archaeological record exists partly in an attempt to influence the nationalism of the future. It examines the different ways in which archeology interacts with national/political perception such as a tool of the state either in substantiating claims to land or power, or in promoting a specific style of government or nationalism in general. It analyzes how archeology is dependent upon and biased by its surroundings in many ways and how at the same time, modern culture depends upon archeology to be its memory of the past and to provide it with the assumptions and biases it needs to function.
From the Paper "Because of the power of the past to reinvent the future, some states may resort to forcing the past into the molds they desire. Consider, for a minute, our previous two imaginary nations. What if it turned out that Nation A had in fact completely and intentionally misinterpreted the ruins in those hills, and had in fact planted occasional pieces of data? What if the ruins actually existed to a third, expired race of people? Nation A's use of these ruins to create the foundation for war, despite all contrary evidence, would make them a prime example of the second sort of relationship that may exist between archeology and the nation/society. Sometimes, archeology is just a puppet of the state. For example, there is a great deal of evidence that archeological departments in Nazi Germany creatively "made up" a great deal of evidence supporting the supremacy of the Aryan race. By giving themselves (illusory) archeological evidence of the past greatness of their militant people, they invoked a new martial spirit among their modern community. Yet the Nazis have not been alone in such revisionism."
From the Paper "The study of ancient Israel has been both tremendously advanced and transformed by the use of archaeology. This field has been used to support the historical narrative provided by the Biblical text in some instances, while altering the views of many modern scholars as to what dates the biblical stories are to represent, when they were written, and how historically reliable they are. Although the use of archaeology in the study of ancient Israel has not been able to conclusively support or refute the assumptions made about the time period, as derived from the Bible, it has proved helpful in formulating more well-informed beliefs as to what ancient Israelite society was like."
Abstract This paper discusses the use of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy (NMR), Petrographic analysis, microscopy and radiography, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), and infrared spectroscopy (IR) in examining archeological remains. The author includes an application of these methods. Pictures and graphs are included.
From the Paper "There are many ways one can study archaeological materials. This paper will focus on Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy (NMR), Petrographic analysis, microscopy and radiography, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), and infrared spectroscopy (IR). All are part of a process that helps to identify many materials, which in turn provide answers to parts of the past. They are all very useful tools for the examination of archaeological artifacts and many other things."
Abstract This paper looks at the personal life and professional achievements of Mercer. It tells how he was founder of the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works (1912), where he was the chief designer for many years. This paper discusses his interests, how they ranged from architecture to archeology and how his work was influenced by various architectural schools, especially the Art and Crafts Movement.
From the Paper "Mercer was heavily influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement and became an important proponent of its style and ideas in America. The pottery works flourished and Mercer's designs for decorative tiles became popular. They were featured in a number of public buildings but the most notable installations of his tiles are to be found in his castle-like home, Fonthill, in Doylestown in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. This home, Mercer's museum, and his tile works all reflect the eclectic 'medievalism' that characterized much of Arts and Crafts architecture in England and the United States. And, although he drew on many sources of inspiration, his tiles often display themes and stylistic features similar to those of the movement's designers. Mercer's accomplishments in design have never earned him wide fame, yet the work is very fine and an excellent example of how the influence of the Arts and Crafts movement flourished in America."
Abstract This paper examines how the prehistoric human background of Europe began tens of thousands of years ago in the latter part of the Stone Age. It looks at how ancient man, beginning roughly during the Upper Paleolithic Period, circa 32,000 B.C.E., evolved from a primitive and animal-like being into one that could construct and use tools, build shelters and create early forms of societal structures that eventually led to the rise of towns and cities along the rivers and coastlines of ancient Europe.
From the Paper "The Stone Age is usually divided into the Paleolithic ("Old Stone") and Neolithic "New Stone") Ages; the end of the Paleolithic and the beginning of the Neolithic is thus placed about ten to twelve thousand years ago. During the long Paleolithic Period, human beings roamed throughout Europe, searching for food as hunter-gatherers, and often migrated great distances in order to follow large game animals or locate more abundant sources of wild plants. At least as early as 50,000 years ago, the type of Paleolithic human beings known as Neanderthals, named from the remains found in the Neanderthal Valley in Germany, spread over Macedonia and then into Greece as far south as the Peloponnese peninsula."
Abstract The paper describes how, through the ages, it has become evident that ancient civilizations had methods of creating structures that are unexplained, even to this day. The paper discusses how the manner in which astronomy affects archeology verifies this contention. The paper examines ancient observatories such as Chaco Canyon, Machu Picchu, and Chichen Itza, which have given science the means to explore the methods practiced by ancient societies in correlating the existence of their societies with the heavens.
Abstract This paper looks at important elements of the Bible, specifically the story of the flood and Noah's Ark as well as other related aspects of Genesis in the context of archeology. The paper examines problems with the creationist explanation of the Noah's ark story and why it doesn't fit with modern scientific and archaeological research, as well as discussing some reasons why people prefer the Creationist approach.
From the Paper "Everyone in the western world knows what they're looking at when they see a representation of an old man, a boat and a pair of animals, whether they be giraffes, rabbits or elephants. One doesn't need to be an active believer in any of the Biblical faiths to identify Noah and his Ark. In fact, the old man with a boat and some animals would probably have been an identifiable figure in the ancient world as well, from the Mediterranean to Indonesia, but especially in the middle east, where creation stories have included a divine salvation from a flood since the second millennium B.C. (Thompson 15; Bright 33)."
Abstract This paper explains that archeology and linguistic findings indicate that goddess worship in various forms has taken place since the Ice Age. The author points out that many experts believe that, during biblical times, as Christianity and Islam began to evolve, almost all pagan goddess worship was driven from society and religion, thus creating patriarchal societies with women subservient to men. The paper relates that more recently goddess worship has enjoyed a renewed popularity through (1) the spiritual practices of pagans and Wiccans and (2) the women's movement.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
History
Biblical Times Arrive
Keeping Them Down
Marija Gimbutas
Conclusion
From the Paper "Goddess worship began long before any formal records were kept but there have been stories and illustrations throughout history that indicate goddess worship began in prehistoric times. From the beginning of time, mankind began to divide itself into societies that had two types of humans, the hunters and the gatherers. Humans are the only animal species on earth that understand life it finite. It ends and people die. Out of that understanding came the foundation for religious principles and practices."
Abstract The paper explores, from an archeological perspective, how a hunter-gatherer society might nourish themselves in a desert. The paper focuses on the traditional lifestyle of the San people who live in the Kalahari desert. The paper describes how the San people have survived on a limited diet of animals and plants that is lacking in nutritional variation.
Outline:
Bushmen of the Kalahari
History of the San
Traditional San Culture
Analyzing Diets from an Archeological Perspective
Conducting An Assessment of the Primitive Diet
From the Paper "Archeologists spend much time conjecturing about how a certain group of people survived in a particular area. Often, the only clues they have are in the artifacts, or if they are lucky, an intact body. However, it is easy to forget that we have a valuable resource in our search for the hunter-gatherer "secrets" of how to survive in an inhospitable climate. The San, otherwise known as the Basarwa people, live in the Kalahari desert. The Kalahari is a vast desert that stretches over South Africa, Botswana, and Namibia. The San are often referred to as the "Bushmen" of the Kalahari."
Abstract In this article, the writer notes that warfare in ancient times is understood by records of civilizations, which often exaggerate their wins and accomplishments for purposes of bolstering an ancient civilization's perception of their king or leader. The writer discusses that as time passes, and more information is studied and compared against the still emerging body of archeological data, it is possible to better understand the state of warfare in ancient civilizations. The extent to which warfare was waged in ancient times continues to be debated, but the historical and archeological evidence has begun to reveal that when war did occur, it was on a scale that often times completely altered or transformed the civilization in which it occurred. The writer maintains that it would be fair to say that mankind's propensity for waging war is one that can be traced to the ancient tribes of every civilization on earth. It might also be surmised, especially given the role of religious deities and pagan beliefs, that the impetus to make war arose out of superstition as much as it did out of the need to offset nature with resources.
Outline:
Introduction
Ancient Egypt
The Mesoamerica Ancient Civilizations
Conclusion
From the Paper "Even with this information, there remain volumes of unanswered questions, the answers to which can only be speculated about at this time. While the written and archeological data of some civilizations, such as the Egyptians, have left us with a wealth of information, it still must be translated and taken into consideration as to the goals the ancients themselves had in the writings. As has been previously noted here, the ancient Egyptians had a tendency to exaggerate war wins for the benefit of the powerful.
"An examination of a ancient civilizations where the writings and archeological data are not as voluminous as ancient Egypt or Rome, means that much of what is concluded form the artifacts is based on historians' and archeologists' experiences with other ancient civilizations, like Egypt, Greece, and Rome."
Abstract This paper presents an overview of the history of ancient Ashkelon, located in present-day Israel, including details of archaeological finds.
From the Paper "For nearly 5,000 years, Askelon was one of the great seaports of the Mediterranean, but today Askelon is a forgotten name outside of Israel. It was located on the trade routes that ran from Turkey and Syria to Egypt and was a major seaport as far back as 3500 B.C. 40 miles south of Tel Aviv, it was the capital of the Canaanite kings, harbor of the Philistines, and "stomping grounds" of Sampson. "
Abstract This paper discusses the "Book of the Dead", an ancient Egyptian guide to the afterlife. The paper also discusses the archeological finds associated with it and the papyri of the book itself.
From the Paper "The Book of the Dead has been erroneously considered by enthusiasts of ancient Egyptian civilization to be comparable to the Torah, the Old and New Testaments, or the Qu'ran as an example of revealed religious truth?in short, to have been the "Bible" of the ancient Egyptians. A far better modern comparison would be with the older form of the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, which was also a compilation of texts and prayers and contained spells to ward off evil influences."
Abstract This paper looks at the findings from the site Olduvai Gorge. Despite the many years since the first discoveries, Olduvai remains an extremely important archaeological site. Debate over the significance of the Olduvai artifacts continues and new information may be revealed as new archaeological analysis techniques come into use.
From the Paper "Olduvai Gorge has been described as the most important Palaeolithic site in Africa (Bray, 1970). Excavations of Olduvai, by Drs. Mary and Louis Leakey after 1931 [although conducted by Hans Reck prior to this (Ecco Homo, 1986)] unearthed a treasure of hominid fossils and stone tools (Potts, 1988). Oduvai has influenced views on evolution and shaped our ideas about the origins of human hunting and gathering (as well as cultural learning) behaviours. (Potts, 1988). Discoveries at Olduvai also include faunal remains, living floors and what is probably the oldest known human structure (Leakey, 1971)."
Abstract This creative writing essay presents an accounting of a scenario in which a meteor hits the planet Earth, destroying all living things. Hundreds of years after the collision, someone stumbles across what used to be a home, and tries to figure out what the artifacts left in the house were used for before the meteor crash.
From the Paper "We arrived on planet Earth this morning and began our expedition with little hope of finding anything useful for our research. Earth has been a dead planet for hundreds of years and we know that there is no life form existing on it. As we begin to disembark however our scout conveyed that he found what appears to be a dwelling form the structure people. The structure people are those who lived here on Earth hundreds of years ago. We so named them the structure people because of the structures that they used to live in. The structures are long gone because the elements on Earth have destroyed them but the scout found a location of a former structure in which some things have been preserved."
