PRESERVING THE PAST FOR THE FUTURE: WHAT CAN ARCHAEOLOGY TEACH US?
Time required: 2-3 hours
A. Overview: This module is the capstone for the class. It allows students to synthesize what they have learned and how this information is relevant to their world. At the beginning of this module, various current events articles are introduced that relate to the objectives of this section. These will be discussed by the instructor and students as a way to introduce the topic. In order for this to work, the instructor will need to have compiled a set of these articles throughout the semester. The instructor will also take each of these objectives and have the students work to create lists or charts which address each issue. For example, students, working in groups, will develop a compare/contrast chart on religious perspectives in the Americas and how these affected societies. While some of this module comes from instructor lecture, ideally the students will actually do much of the work themselves in class and then share this information.
B. Lesson Objectives:
1. Compare and contrast religious perspectives and worldviews throughout the Americas and how these impacted societies.
2. Describe the ways in which archaeological data can provide evidence about past cultures.
3. Compare and contrast the behaviors and structure of past cultures with those in the recent past or present.
4. Identify what can we learn from the past.
5. Identify what can be lost without protection of sites and use of proper archaeological methods.
6. Identify the laws that protect archaeological sites.
7. Examples include Four Corners region of the Southwestern U.S., Slack Farms, Kentucky, and Copan.
8. Identify principles of stewardship, social relevance, communication, diverse interests, and ethics.
C. Matrix Principles:
1. Social relevance: how can we use the past to help us think productively about the present and the future; role of environment, including effects of environmental degradation; role of warfare in relation to politics, economy, etc; past systems of social inequality and comparison/contrast with present.
2. Diverse interests: recognize our common heritage; how has the past helped us understand our present; relationships can be enhanced through development of partnerships with different groups.
3. Ethics and values: responsibilities by archaeologists to the resources, data, colleagues, and public.
4. Stewardship: damage caused by looting sites and trafficking of artifacts; conservation ethic; laws protecting cultural resources.
D. Instructional Procedures: This module is a combination of student in-class activity and instructor lecture. The current events portion is introduced to tie in archaeology to today's world. Students then take each of the class objectives and work through them. Once completed, they will present what they have learned to the class. The instructor will supplement their findings with additional information to ensure the objectives have been met.
E. Assessment: Student in-class activity and reflections.
F. Lesson Outline:
1. Current events: discuss recent news article on anthropology/archaeology related to module topic.
2. Readings: Price and Feinman, pages 519-520; Preserving the Past for the Future (Stuart and McManamon 2000a).
3. Activity: Students develop a table that compares and contrasts religious perspectives and worldviews throughout the Americas and how these impacted societies. Students provide example of how religious perspectives and worldviews impact societies today.
4. Students develop lists of the ways in which archaeological data can provide evidence about past cultures.
5. Tiwanaku:
Ancient Agriculture at Tiwanaku (Fagan 2004).6. Aymara:
Aymara Creation and Celestial World View (Kolata 1996).7. Using an example from the recent past or present, students compare and contrast the behaviors and structure of a past culture they have studied.
8. Students identify what we can learn from the past. Discussion of what can be learned through the study of archaeology and the study of the past. What can history teach us? Have students cite examples of where history has taught us something for the future. Tie that in to examples that have been discussed in class.
9. Identify the laws that protect archaeological sites.
Archaeology and the Law (Stuart and McManamon 2000b).10. Students identify what can be lost without protection of sites and use of proper archaeological methods.
11. Examples include Four Corners region of Southwestern U.S., Slack Farms, Kentucky, and Copan.
Vandalism and Loss of Archaeology (Efflan and MCC 2004).12. Activity: Discussion of impacts to archaeological sites by vandalism, development, etc. Students research, on the Web, examples of sites that are in danger or have been destroyed. They will then list what is gained by conducting research and what is lost by not having these opportunities. Students will work in groups to answer the questions: what can be lost due to vandalism, development, or inadvertent impacts? What can be gained by conducting research of the past?
13. Activity: Students research and discuss examples of looting and destruction of local archaeological sites.
14. Vanishing Treasures (NPS Archaeology and Ethnography Program 2004d).
15. Links to the Past: National Park Service Cultural Resources (NPS 2004a).
16. UNESCO World Heritage Center. Class discussion of different views of monitoring cultural resources; different views than United States.
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