History & Archaeology.ppt

8/10/2019 History & Archaeology.ppt

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History & Archaeology


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Both historians and archaeologists study the past.

For centuries historians have used written records astheir main source of information about historical events,people and groups.

This reliance on written evidence has limited whathistorians can learn about the past.

This is where archaeology comes in studying thematerial remains of the past to learn about how peoplelived. Thereby helping to fill the

gaps

left by onlystudying written records.

History & Archaeology


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Role of the Historian

What do h i s to r ians do?

Study written evidence to investigate thepast.


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Role of the Archaeologists

What do archaeo log i s t s do?

Study the human past throughphysical remains calledartefacts.

Artefacts are objects made,used or modified by humans.


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What is Archaeology?

The word

archaeology

isancient Greek in origin. Its simplemeaning is the study ofeverything ancient.

Today, archaeology is asystematic and scientificapproach to collecting, classifyingand interpreting physical remains.

Archaeologists examine objectsfrom left behind from a society.


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What is Archaeology?

These objects often relate toeveryday life particularlyunimportant details of life that are notrecorded in written records.

We can learn more about what lifewas like for the average person in asociety from archaeological evidencethan from written records, which areusually concerned with the wealthyand important people of a society.

Archaeology is critical for gaining anunderstanding of people who did notleave written records behind.


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Historians and Archaeologists

In piecing together evidence aboutan ancient event or personality, thework of BOTH the historian and thearchaeologist contribute to a morecomplete study.

Archaeology and history arecomplimentary .

For example, a historian would beinterested in reading ancientEgyptian hieroglyphs on a papyrus,the archaeologist would beinterested in what material it wasmade from, the process used tomanufacture the papyrus and the

way in which the paint wasdeveloped.


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Sources and Evidence

History and archaeology are really about asking questions, not justfinding answers.

Historians and archaeologists must look at sources and askquestions to find the evidence they are looking for.

A source is anything that has survived from the past. It can bewritten or an archaeological artefact.

A source should not be confused with evidence.

Evidence is the information that comes from a source it tends toprove or disprove a conclusion to establish a point. A sourcebecomes evidence once an historian or archaeologist has used it.


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Some important terms

Find th e def in i t ion for the fo l lowing w ord s , thendef ine i t in you r OWN word s .

ArchaeologistHistorianClassifying

ArtefactInterpretingSourceEvidence


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Case Study

The Tomb of King Tutankhamun

If we look at one of the most spectacularfinds in the history of archaeology, thediscovery of the tomb of KingTutankhamun in ancient Egypt, we cansee how historians and archaeologistswork to piece together the evidence.

The following is a list of evidence of thetomb of Tutankhamun.


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Case Study

The Tomb of King Tutankhamun

Wri te dow n wh ich ev idence wo uld be s tud ied by an h i s to r i an andwh ich w ould b e s tud ied by an a rchaeo log i s t .

Stelas (ancient stone with inscription)The sarcophagus (ancient coffin)Tomb burial goodsWall paintingsStatues

TemplesOfficial documentsInscriptions on statuesTemple inscriptionsWritings on burial goodsMummified body

Tomb inscriptions


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Looking at Sources

Look at this list of familiar objects:

Opera House A tombstoneToilet seat$2 coinBBQ tongsParramatta Eels football jersey

Imagine that you have never seen these objects before, and haveuncovered them sometime in the future.


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Looking at Sources

For each object:Describe the objectWhat is it made of?What is its purpose?Is it archaeological evidence or a written source or both?What can it tell you about the people who made and used it?Is the object most helpful in finding out about: daily life culture & beliefs social and political life?


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The Work of the Historian

What is an Historian?Someone who studies the past using written evidence

The Skills of the Historian

Historians search for evidence in many places: gravestones, inscriptionson buildings, coins, letters etc. These are sources of evidence as theyprovide basic information for the historian.

An historian:asks questions

researches the pastevaluates sources and makes judgments based on themanalyses and interprets evidencedraw conclusionscommunicates and explains the pastemphasises with people from the past

tries to gain and understanding of the past


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Study the broken gravestone

For 39 years married to onehusbandleft three surviving children byhim, a son who has held the highestmunicipal posts through the favour of

Augustus Caesar, another who in thearmy of the same Caesar Augustus hasheld the highest posts of the equestrian

rank and is now marked out for a higherrank, and a most virtuous daughtermarried to a most upright man andthrough her, two grandchildren...

1. What is the source?What is theevidence?

2. What can we learnabout the owner ofthe gravestone fromthis source?

3. What basicinformation about

her is missing?

4. What other sourcesmay be useful tohelp us find themissinginformation?

Broken Roman Grave stoneinscription from Corfinium, Italy


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The Work of the Archaeologist

Archaeology is a multi-faced discipline.Much like doctors, archaeologists tend to

specialise

in one area of expertise.

Find the Definition for the Following:

Pre-historiansEgyptologistsClassical ArchaeologistsNear-Eastern ArchaeologistsHistorical Archaeologists Industrial ArchaeologistsMarine Archaeologists


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Archaeology is a multi-faced discipline.Much like doctors, archaeologists tend to

specialise

in one area of expertise.

Pre-historiansThe term prehistory has been used to describe the periods from early human lifeto the beginning of written history. Pre-historians therefore study the time ofhumans before the introduction of writing.

EgyptologistsStudy the culture of ancient Egypt. They could be archaeologists mostly

concerned with material remains or historians concerned with the writtenevidence of Egypt.

Classical ArchaeologistsStudy the written and archaeological remains of ancient Greece and Rome.


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Near-Eastern ArchaeologistsStudy the area of the world including Persia, Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq).

Historical Archaeologists

Study more recent sites with the aid of written records. In Australia, this wouldinclude the study of early colonial sites.

Industrial Archaeologists

Study sites, buildings and associated objects built and manufactured over thelast 300 years.

Marine ArchaeologistsStudy submerged buildings, shipwrecks, sea and lakebeds with the help ofcomplex scientific machinery and techniques.


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The Skills of the Archaeologist

An Archaeologist:

investigates the past

identifies material evidence

asks questions of sources

collects evidence and observes

classifies evidence, placing it in its correct context of time and place

interprets evidence and draws conclusions

evaluates material evidence and makes judgements about it

communicates and explains theories about the past


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Study the artefacts

Wri te dow n the fo l lowing qu es t ions :

1. What is it?

2. What is it made from?

3. Where did it come from?

4. What is it

s function?

5. What does it tell us about the society?


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Artefact 1


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Artefact 2


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Artefact 3


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Artefact 4

Documents

History & Archaeology.ppt