historic artifact identification project
Learning Objective: To develop your ability to identify, describe, and document some samples of the material culture that informs the archaeology of historic sites.
Artifact assemblages are often removed from where they were left by past peoples. This is illegal on public lands. Archaeologists are often called on to interpret these artifacts by the public and land managers. Archaeologists also use the objects in museums and private collections to interpret a site. Can you, through your research and learning, interpret an assemblage of artifacts so they are more than novelties but tools for archaeological interpretation?
Resources: (e.g., specialists articles on bottles/glass, cabins, nails, cans) located in Canvas, Files, see Folders. Plus,Key Resources, Mining see this page on our website (click here).
1. Answer the following questions about each artifact in the assemblage:
a. What is the object? Provide a photo of each object with an included scale. If you find a photo of a more pristine example of the object, include that.
b. When was the object manufactured? Photos of maker's marks are helpful.
c. Where was the object likely manufactured?
d. How was the object likely used?
For each object identified, you MUST have the source citations you used to inform the identification. You will need a references cited list at the end of the document and in-text citations to justify your interpretations. Please follow the SAA Style guide (click here).
Also, the primary researcher on each object must be identified. This will allow me to identify the quality and extent of individual contributions.
2. What type of household or community do you infer these artifacts came from?
Your "answer" should begin with a central claim followed by an argument explaining and defending your claim with data (the artifacts).
3. Based on the artifacts, what time range do you assign to the site where the artifacts were found?
Develop a figure to support your temporal inference. Discuss and interpret outliers, if any.
4. Discuss what can NOT be learned from these artifacts now that they are out of their original context.
Submission: Email me the final product as a Microsoft Word document so I can use Track Changes for comments and return it to everyone. Single spaced text is preferred.
Audience: This document will eventually accompany the artifacts back to a museum near the site where they were originally deposited. The document will serve as a guide for interpretation for the museum staff.
Notes: For artifacts that are not fully identifiable, aim to narrow the range of possible interpretations.
To ensure the quality and utility of your submission, I recommend:
For collaborative projects, I recommend:
Artifact assemblages are often removed from where they were left by past peoples. This is illegal on public lands. Archaeologists are often called on to interpret these artifacts by the public and land managers. Archaeologists also use the objects in museums and private collections to interpret a site. Can you, through your research and learning, interpret an assemblage of artifacts so they are more than novelties but tools for archaeological interpretation?
Resources: (e.g., specialists articles on bottles/glass, cabins, nails, cans) located in Canvas, Files, see Folders. Plus,Key Resources, Mining see this page on our website (click here).
1. Answer the following questions about each artifact in the assemblage:
a. What is the object? Provide a photo of each object with an included scale. If you find a photo of a more pristine example of the object, include that.
b. When was the object manufactured? Photos of maker's marks are helpful.
c. Where was the object likely manufactured?
d. How was the object likely used?
For each object identified, you MUST have the source citations you used to inform the identification. You will need a references cited list at the end of the document and in-text citations to justify your interpretations. Please follow the SAA Style guide (click here).
Also, the primary researcher on each object must be identified. This will allow me to identify the quality and extent of individual contributions.
2. What type of household or community do you infer these artifacts came from?
Your "answer" should begin with a central claim followed by an argument explaining and defending your claim with data (the artifacts).
3. Based on the artifacts, what time range do you assign to the site where the artifacts were found?
Develop a figure to support your temporal inference. Discuss and interpret outliers, if any.
4. Discuss what can NOT be learned from these artifacts now that they are out of their original context.
Submission: Email me the final product as a Microsoft Word document so I can use Track Changes for comments and return it to everyone. Single spaced text is preferred.
Audience: This document will eventually accompany the artifacts back to a museum near the site where they were originally deposited. The document will serve as a guide for interpretation for the museum staff.
Notes: For artifacts that are not fully identifiable, aim to narrow the range of possible interpretations.
To ensure the quality and utility of your submission, I recommend:
- precise, technical writing that separates observations from inferences
- proofreading the final document to ensure that every sentence that contains non-commonly known information is cited properly (see SAA Style Guide link above)
- consistency in either cm or inch dimensions
- if you make an observation (e.g., "the side seams of the bottle run the entire length of the jar to the lip"), state the implication of the observation (e.g., the artifact dates to post 1900).
- label photos/figures with captions to use in the artifact description and URL source
- Citations should follow the description of each artifact
For collaborative projects, I recommend:
- starting early - group work often takes longer that work by an individual
- appointing one or more editors and reduce their initial workload relative to others
- defining a timeline that everyone agrees to for several stages of completion
- using social pressure to meet deadlines
- finishing the first draft several days before a due date, then let the editor take over to find the errors with time to produce at least a second draft. Excellent work ALWAYS requires multiple drafts.
