With archaeology’s development, the different new branches and sub disciplines with specific focus emerged. In the last decades we can whiteness the formation of military and war thematic related archaeologies like battlefield archaeology, conflict archaeology, airfield archaeology, forensic archaeology, great war archaeology and many others archaeologies that are dealing with a recent and violent history.
If we want to understand the First World War archaeology, we must know and understand the background in which it was formed. We will get to know broader archaeological fields and will move towards more specific types, until we will reach the First World War archaeology.
Archaeology has traditionally dealt with first civilizations, antiquity and older periods of human history, but with time its focus was getting closer and closer to recent time. In the last decades it came to the present where it deals with the interaction between the material culture and human behaviour, without limitations of space and time (look at Rathje 1979, 1981; Buchli, Lucas 2001; Saunders 2010b, 42). The rise of archaeological investigations of recent past can be traced from the 70s onwards. The Rathje’s Garbage Project / Le Projet du Garbàg played the important role. It started in the 1973 at University of Arizona (Buchli, Lucas 2001, 3). In this archaeological approach to the recent past the so called archaeologies of contemporary past emerged. The name was introduced by Buchli and Lucas (2001). In the context of it they highlighted some of the characteristic themes which had great impact on the development of archaeologies of contemporary past. These were production/consumption, remembering/forgetting, disappearance/disclosure, presen...
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...ipline (Saunders 2010b, 38). Saunders argues that pre 1914 battlefields were more or less small areas that were, after the battle, turned back to the harmless environment. After the 1914, the peaceful landscapes were transformed into killing fields that are continuing to harm and kill innocent people long since the armies had left and the war had ended (Saunders 2010b, 38). The reasons are numerous unexploded ordnances that were left behind on vast areas. Battlefield archaeology has a narrow meaning that is related only to the battlefield, but the First World War archaeology studies also the airfields, hospitals, warehouses, training camps, cemeteries, memorials and all of the areas that were located in the hinterland and were connected to the conflict and are a part of a conflict landscapes even if they were never used in a combat actions (Saunders 2010b, 38).
The second question frequently asked regarding Schliemann’s legacy examines his motives and skill as an excavator: was Heinrich Schliemann a good archaeologist? This question has two sides. First, did Schliemann use the best techniques and technology available to him at time of his first excavation? Second, did he have the same values that other archaeologists have?
Trench warfare was going on the whole of WWI, yet the the bigger battles only occurred at specific times. In the book, Trench Warfare 1914-1918, Ashworth focuses on trench warfare since he believes that it is “the larger part of the total war experience” (p. 2).
While digging in the far reaches of the African outback, now know as the western part of Kenya, archaeologist Bozo excavated a site that revolutionized the thoughts of the scientific world. At this site they found many interesting artifacts and paintings that included proof of an early civilization. At this time scientists are calling this civilization “Pontu” after one of the paintings suggested that a pontoon was used for transportation across Lake Victoria, one of the adjacent lakes.
All in all, I now understand the 9 ways contemporary archaeology methods now differ from the way things use to be. These 9 methods were used by some of the 5 arcaheologists presented: less intrusive, controlled excavation, artifacts not acquired for profit, detailed notes and documentation, better cataloguing methods, focusing on site interpretation not data recovery, use of strata for excavation, education and ethical
Archaeology is the closest thing we have to a time machine. It is the only way we can know the unrecorded, and sometimes even the recorded, past. History may be written by the victorious, but archaeology is about the common people. There are archaeological sites ranging in age from thousands-of-years-old prehistoric habitations, to the Egyptian pyramids, to World War II military bases. As a means of obtaining knowledge about our collective past, archaeology has been unsurpassed. It is the literal and figurative digging up of the forgotten past.
The archaeology of Africa must be the most important part of learning the history of Africa. If archaeologist were to track the activity of Pre-Africans,
Archaeology is a continuously evolving field where there is a constant stream of new branches and excavation methods. Due to the influx of new technologies and innovations in recent decades, archaeologists have been able to excavate previously inaccessible areas. For example, new diving equipment and tools such as proton magnetometers, side-scan sonar, sub-bottom profiler, and miniature submarines have allowed archaeologists to dive into the deep depths of the ocean. As a result, the branch of underwater archaeology was created to search for shipwrecks and other artifacts on the ocean floor. Underwater archaeology’s role has increased in recent years as it allows archaeologists to more accurately interpret the past by supplementing information gained through traditional land excavations.
Trench Warfare devastated the British and French soldiers fighting in France during World War One through the destruction of land. Shell bursts and land mines were a vital factor in the destruction of French land during World War One. "If you were a British officer peering into no man's land, what met your gaze resembled the cratered surface of the moon..." (Hochschild 135). The shell bursts that were launched from allied and enemy trenches completed destroyed French land, which made it hard for soldiers to move across the battlefield. Besides explosions, land was destroyed by militaries building camps and trenches for the war. "The simple presence of military forces took land out of agricultural use for camps, training grounds, firing ranges, airfields, and many other purposes, and gave rise to localized destruction" (Clout 33). The presence of the military gave rise to localized destruction, which ruins the natural resources that soldiers can use. The military also ravaged the land and used anything they came across for themselves in battle. A French soldier reported: "Close to the front, the enemy stripped houses of doors, shutters, cupboards and especially bedding, which they carried into the trenches...They slaughtered farm animals, taking the best parts to eat and leaving the rest to rot" (Clout 33-34). The
The philosophies of archaeology can be a source for some major confusion in the field of study. We use philosophy to explain to not only others but to ourselves about why we do what we do. In archaeological research, epistemology and ontological seem to be our core philosophies for understanding, but both have caused problems in the way of their usage. Without a clear understanding of these two philosophies, the reason for what we do falls apart and effect how we study archeology as a whole. We as student must understand these philosophies in order to better see how to perceive and understand our fields.
Excavation is the base tool for archaeologists who are trying to understand the past of any civilization. When people are asked what they know about archaeology, excavation is often the first thing that comes to mind, and there is an important reason behind it: excavation is the first step towards archaeological discovery! The point of this paper is to describe the process of excavation and how it leads to the discovery of human remains and their examination using Isotope Analysis.
Processual archaeology was created in response to cultural history, it seems only right that another contending movement had to be created in order to counter the processual one. Post processual archaeology does just that. Social science based, post processual archaeology offers a different view when it comes to interpreting the archaeological record as well as the past that created it. The processual/post processual debate centers upon the forms of knowledge appropriate for a social science. Obviously the minds behind processual archaeology and post processual archaeology did not get along. Each side has something positive to offer to the archaeological community, and neither one will relent to admitting that they have flaws. By outlining
The relationship between archaeology and history is continually experiencing modifications, by reason of their historical development and altering research objectives. These particular scientific and academic studies are outlined with a high degree of overlap and a mutual dependence upon another (Tabaczynski 1993:1).
Preservation is a crucial obligation that modern archaeologists have at Pompeii. This is due to the development of the site over time. Key concerns with conservation were emphasised in 2011 by UNESCO including ordinary decay, the impact of tourism and poor conservation measures by past generations. Studies conducted on the site have found that tourists confine themselves to small portions of the site, and some areas are rarely open to visitors which could reduce the overall effect of high tourist traffic (Wallace, 2012 p. 120). Poor preservation techniques used in the past have created an array of issues currently being solved at Pompeii. Until recently, a precise methodology for restoration at Pompeii did not exist (Demauro, 2016 p. 376). This created serious problems when archaeologists attempted to date restoration in the past, and when attempting to identify the materials and methods used in conservation. In order to resolve this, a geographic information system (GIS) is being developed for the site (Demauro, 2016 p. 377). This will map what restorations have occurred throughout the site, the materials used and the date of these activities. According to Demauro, this project is ongoing. Whilst this project is not unique, it will be fundamental for archaeologists on the site as they can identify what methods have been successful in specific contexts. In the long term, this will allow methodology for conservation to be streamlined into a reliable process. Many archaeologists and professionals working in connected fields have proposed methods of resolving the current crises at Pompeii and the other Vesuvian sites. Plans for creating tourist paths and platforms at Pompeii have received a variety of responses from the public. Those proposed by Sepe emphasise the need for tourists to visit the often forgotten areas of the site (Sepe, 2015 p. 729). The plans also
Archaeology is the study of very old continues, and recent human past through material remains. The aim for an archaeologist is to find out the past, reconstructing heritage history, who was where, when, with what, how and why do heritage change or stay the same, interoperating past heritage, and interpreting what did people’s inhabits mean. In numerous ways archaeology helps us realise the past and how the present became to be now.
It is important to note that the popular Western idea of the archaeologist being the “defender of artifacts” is not necessarily shared by the rest of the world. For example, the discovery of the site in Sipan, Peru, drew archaeologists, looters, collectors, and other people to the site in order to gain possession of the artifacts located there. Though one might argue that archeologists had the best intentions of all those who laid claim there, locals from the village of Sipan viewed archaeologists as thieves who stole from the tombs. Even though a “local” museum was established to house the f...