One of the ways that archaeologists study the past is by searching for historical remnants. Features, eco-facts, and American Indian artifacts are all types of historical items that can be used by archaeologists to understand Native American culture. These are all items that were left behind by people.
An artifact is a man-made item that can easily be carried and their purpose is not changed by moving. Some examples are carved bowls, weapons, or tools. Features are also man-made but cannot be easily carried and by moving changes their purpose. One example might be a wall or a well.
Natural, non-man-made items are called eco-facts. Studying them gives insight about the culture and people that used them. An example of an eco-fact is a buried pet or food. The biggest difference between an eco-fact and an artifact is whether it comes from nature or from man.
Archaeologists generally work at a location called a site. This is where eco-facts, features, and artifacts are found. They may find one, two, or even all three of these in the location. Archaeologists have several ways that they define the site borders; fences are a physical boundary but many boundaries are simply the last place that they found an item.
Archaeologists then consider whether the site has primary or secondary context. Primary context refers to a site that has been undisturbed by humans by subsequent human activity. Secondary context is a site that has been disturbed by humans subsequent to the initial human occupants.
In order to draw their conclusions, archaeologists have to consider the principle of association. This is the relationship that is formed by two items that they find near each other. One example might be finding cooking items in a room that also contained a stove. This might indicate that the room was a kitchen.
The biggest reason that archaeologists need so much information to attempt to understand things in the past is because there are no Native Americans living today that came from that period. They can only draw conclusions by looking at how people lived and what they did. They do this by looking at the items that they used and left behind and then draw conclusions.
Archaeologists believe that looting is the biggest threat to understanding Native American culture. For example, it is estimated that 95% of the archaeological sites in New Mexico have been looted. Looters have taken everything from arrowheads to pottery, pots to pendants, clothing to figurines. In 2006 looters sold 256 artifacts worth more than $325,000 to undercover agents resulting in 47 arrests and indictments. Still, agents say that this is just the tip of the iceberg.
A lot of people would say that there is nothing wrong with picking up American Indian artifacts. Most people will even pick up an arrowhead while they are walking around without understanding they are committing a crime. However, this is looting and it is illegal. Even if we do not consider the legality though, we should consider how much historical knowledge is being lost. It is important to preserve historical knowledge so that we can learn about other cultures and understand the lessons learned.
An artifact is a man-made item that can easily be carried and their purpose is not changed by moving. Some examples are carved bowls, weapons, or tools. Features are also man-made but cannot be easily carried and by moving changes their purpose. One example might be a wall or a well.
Natural, non-man-made items are called eco-facts. Studying them gives insight about the culture and people that used them. An example of an eco-fact is a buried pet or food. The biggest difference between an eco-fact and an artifact is whether it comes from nature or from man.
Archaeologists generally work at a location called a site. This is where eco-facts, features, and artifacts are found. They may find one, two, or even all three of these in the location. Archaeologists have several ways that they define the site borders; fences are a physical boundary but many boundaries are simply the last place that they found an item.
Archaeologists then consider whether the site has primary or secondary context. Primary context refers to a site that has been undisturbed by humans by subsequent human activity. Secondary context is a site that has been disturbed by humans subsequent to the initial human occupants.
In order to draw their conclusions, archaeologists have to consider the principle of association. This is the relationship that is formed by two items that they find near each other. One example might be finding cooking items in a room that also contained a stove. This might indicate that the room was a kitchen.
The biggest reason that archaeologists need so much information to attempt to understand things in the past is because there are no Native Americans living today that came from that period. They can only draw conclusions by looking at how people lived and what they did. They do this by looking at the items that they used and left behind and then draw conclusions.
Archaeologists believe that looting is the biggest threat to understanding Native American culture. For example, it is estimated that 95% of the archaeological sites in New Mexico have been looted. Looters have taken everything from arrowheads to pottery, pots to pendants, clothing to figurines. In 2006 looters sold 256 artifacts worth more than $325,000 to undercover agents resulting in 47 arrests and indictments. Still, agents say that this is just the tip of the iceberg.
A lot of people would say that there is nothing wrong with picking up American Indian artifacts. Most people will even pick up an arrowhead while they are walking around without understanding they are committing a crime. However, this is looting and it is illegal. Even if we do not consider the legality though, we should consider how much historical knowledge is being lost. It is important to preserve historical knowledge so that we can learn about other cultures and understand the lessons learned.
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