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11.3: Activity 2 - Classroom Garbology

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    74793

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    Ilana Johnson, Sacramento City College

    Many kinds of human activity leave no trace in the archaeological record, and artifacts that are left behind are not necessarily preserved over long periods of time in the ground. Some materials disintegrate; others are reused or consumed. Also, some materials that survive tell us little about past activities while others are highly specialized and clearly reveal what happened in the past.

    Garbology is the careful observation and study of the waste products produced by a population or people. What people in the culture might consider common pieces of trash can be valuable and interesting artifacts to archaeologists. We can learn about a population’s activities from their disposal of waste and consumption of food and everyday items.

    In this activity, you will be an archaeologist studying the material culture of a group of people.

    Your instructor will provide you with a collection of trash or will give you directions for how to obtain the trash you need for this analysis.

    1. Record the material remains from your investigation site by listing what you found, including how many of each item were found (e.g., six Diet Pepsi aluminum cans).
    2. Based on the trash in your sample, what types of activities were carried out in the room where this trash was found?
    3. What conclusions can you draw about the people who used the room? Consider lifestyle, diet, gender, and socio-economic status.
    4. What conclusions can you draw about American culture and society from the trash?
    5. Can you determine what room your trash came from? How do you know?
    6. What kinds of conclusions can be easily drawn based on the trash?
    7. What kinds of conclusions could not be drawn from the trash you examined?

    This page titled 11.3: Activity 2 - Classroom Garbology is shared under a CC BY-NC license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Amanda Wolcott Paskey and AnnMarie Beasley Cisneros (ASCCC Open Educational Resources Initiative (OERI)) .