Backyard Archaeology

Choose one room of your home or a specific place in your community (playground, parking lot, restaurant).  Visit and observe the site for 10-15 minutes.   Map (photos, hand drawn and scanned, digitally created map) the site and describe the physical characteristics of the site.  These do not count toward the 4-6 page estimate for the assignment. Collect and document artifacts.  Describe the artifacts noting color, shape, weight, texture, quantity, material, and other features you think are important.  Be objective as you examine the site, remember not to mention what it is in today’s terms, but pretend you have do not recognize or have knowledge of the artifacts and site Using your imagination, what are some other purposes the artifacts and site might have?  What conclusions can you draw about the origin of the artifacts, their use, and the purpose of the site? Using our course materials, what type of archaeological tools and methods would you want to use to help you interpret your artifacts and site?   Reflect on some of the challenges archaeologists face in piecing together the past. Cite at least one of our course materials in your paper.  This typically works best in steps 5 and/or 6. All written submissions should be submitted using APA formatting. In part, this includes: Typewritten in double-spaced format with a readable style and font and submitted inside the electronic classroom. Arial 11 or 12-point font or Times New Roman styles. Page margins Top, Bottom, Left Side and Right Side = 1 inch, with reasonable accommodation being made for special situations and online submission variances.  Save as .doc, .rtf, or .pdf