Even though I am not planning on becoming an archaeologist and am not even an anthropology major, I have already found this class very interesting and much more enjoyable than what I first thought it would be. Not only has this class opened my eyes to many myths about the field of archaeology in general but also to misconceptions about archaeological discoveries.
My perception of archaeologists before this class involved people carefully digging holes to hopefully find something interesting from the past and then sitting and analyzing the objects for long periods of time. While some of this is true of archaeologists there are many other aspects of the field I never thought of before. I found the concepts of mapping and surveying very interesting. How can you dig if you don’t know where to dig first? It’s also very interesting the types of technology that are used to survey areas in addition to map locations that are going to be dug and that have already been dug. Using technology like GPS, drones, 3D imaging and GPR to map and pinpoint exact locations and elevations of sites and artifacts is something I had not thought of before. In addition to these new ideas, the concept of archaeology as a science where hypotheses are formed, tested and analyzed was very interesting. Along with this, it is a destructive science where you often only have one chance to test the hypothesis. The fact that dig sites are not usually completely excavated and are always filled in completely at the end is also clarifications to misconceptions I had about the field.
Relating to a current topic of discussion, the Great Pyramids of Giza, more of my misconceptions have been answered. Before this class, I pictured the Great Pyramids as being located in the middle of the desert in an area with very few people today. However, I was very wrong. The pyramids are almost completely surrounded by the city of Giza across the river from Cairo. The famous pictures of the pyramids are taken in the location they are to hide the city that has grown around them. In addition, I have always assumed the mummies of the pharaohs who were buried in the pyramids were still in existence or were at least found and recorded in recent history. However, no skeletal remains have been found in any of the pyramids and were likely taken by looters long before formal archaeological studies began.
These are some of the misconceptions I had entering this class that have been clarified so far. While I am not planning on entering this field, this information has really opened my eyes to the field of archaeology, the science behind the field and how many myths the general public likely has about it that are not true.
I had many of the same misconceptions as you. Although I have never seen any of the Indiana Jones movies, I expected archaeology and excavations to be an adventure and conducted on a whim without an inkling of a plan. I was very surprised to learn about all of the technological equipment they use not only to excavate but also to find the sites in the first place. Due to the fact that it is a destructive science I think it is very smart of the archaeologists to save some of the site from excavation in order to be studied later. Many times the curiosity of people takes over and we want to see more and more until we get the full picture. I think it takes a lot of discipline to be able to cover the site back up for later archaeologists to use new techniques and science and learn more about the people that lived there and their lifestyles.
As for the Pyramids, I love the stark differences that lie in such close proximity to each other. On one hand you have these ancient pieces of work and the spirituality and hard work that goes with it, and on the other hand you have a sprawling metropolis surrounding it with all of the modern advantages that Giza can offer. I think it is important to note that even though cities have sprung up in the Pyramids backyard, they are still protected and not harmed. They are still in as close to their original state as possible with the help of some reconstruction to preserve the important history.
I, like you, had similar misconceptions of what it meant to be an archaeologist. Previous to this class the only knowledge of archaeology I had came from Blake Lively in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. The way it is often portrayed in movies and media today makes it seem like a job that doesn’t involve all the much hard work. I have yet to see a movie that actually shows the whole process an archaeological team has to go through before they begin their excavation. Because of the media’s lack of attention to these parts of archaeology I too was unaware of the different mapping and surveying techniques that archaeologists engage in. The technique that I found most interesting was ariel photography. I never considered that there could be formations or sites that could only be seen from above.
The scientific portion of archaeology is also something I had never thought about before this class. Before, if asked, I would probably have said that archaeology belonged in the history department. However, as we get further and further into the class I am feeling more and more like it belongs in its own department. I know it was mentioned briefly in class that often in other countries this is the case. It is mainly just the United States that groups archaeology with anthropology.
Lastly, I was glad to see that someone else also thought the pyramids are located in the middle of the dessert, hundreds of miles from civilization. Even when you google “the pyramids” you only are shown images that don’t include the city of Giza. I find it fascinating just how much control the media can have on our perceptions and knowledge of history.
I took a basic introductory anthropology course in high school and still was surprised by the amount of technology used by archaeologist. I always pictured archaeology as a pretty boring field of study because I believed an archaeologist would set out for some untouched piece of land, start digging, and hope something “cool” would pop up. I am now very aware of how wrong this misconception is. Mapping is a huge part of archaeology I did not understand before. I knew the site of an excavation was carefully mapped and recored with every update, but I did not know archaeologists were also the ones responsible for surveying and mapping entire lands. I was especially impressed by the mapping drones. They seem like some technology that is so futuristic. Similar to the student above, Madeline Kahl, I think a lot of my misconceptions come from the media, or lack of. The only media exposure I have seen about archaeology is from Indiana Jones, which I now know is widely viewed as incorrect. I would like to see more of actual archaeologists and archaeological discoveries in the news in the future. I think the news would be the best place for it because they would be the most likely to relay facts and findings. Part of an archaeologist’s job is to share findings with the public. I am sure they try to but there does not seem to be enough interest and demand for even little discoveries that might explain more about previous cultures than one can imagine.