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Assignment 1 consists of an exercise in garbology, seriation and interpreting refuse. Instructions: Your mission is to interpret a series of modern "refuse deposits" over time. You will make observations, count things using a classification scheme you devise, and then write a 3 page summary as follows:
- Look around campus, in your dorm, apartment complex, etc. Locate a recycling bin or another safe waste basket (or something comparable) that you will empty every few days or once a week. It cannot be your own bin or waste basket! Whatever you choose should have a diversity of things -- at least 30 things of different kinds -- in it that you can classify and count (depending on what you choose, you might need more than one bin). Avoid bacteria-rich, smelly, organic waste! Don't go dumpster diving or looking at anything that says "KEEP OUT." Beware of sharp objects.
- On two separate occasions, count the types of things in that refuse deposit. The counts are your archaeological data. You will present them in your paper, and then interpret them.
Now, include the following things in your paper, and number the parts of your paper exactly like this:
- First paragraph: tell us what your refuse deposit was and where it was located. (We do not want to know specifically who generated the refuse, and it is better if you do not know this either).
- Second paragraph: make up a classification system based on what you see. You could count all pieces of paper, all bottles, etc., or you might need to count types of paper, or types of bottles. However you group things, spell it out in this second paragraph.
- Third, show a table of your findings for each separate occasion, or show the numbers using graphs. For example:
Week 1
| Object | Type 1 | Type 2 |
| Bottles | 3 | 1 |
| Sheets of paper | 2 | 9 |
| Earrings | 1 | 0 |
| Toenail clippings | 7 | 0 |
Week 2
| Object | Type 1 | Type 2 |
| Bottles | 0 | 5 |
| Sheets of paper | 9 | 19 |
| Earrings | 0 | 0 |
| Toenail clippings | 2 | 1 |
- In one paragraph, describe the pattern; that is, was there a change, and, if so, what changed from the first week to the next?
- In the final paragraph or two, interpret the pattern you have observed. Think about what the things were used for or why they were discarded, and draw on your knowledge of modern-day consumption patterns and general knowledge of the community of people who discarded the objects to give the best explanation you can as to the beliefs or behaviors that led to the pattern.
In completing this Assignment, you will have conducted an analysis and interpretation of change through time in the past. That's archaeology.
Assignment 1 is due to be handed in during class on February 17, 2005.
Please ask questions of your Teaching Assistants, Ms. Donna White (email dmwhite@uiuc.edu) and Ms. Susan Alt (email at salt@uiuc.edu), if you are ever uncertain about how to proceed or about what is needed for a successful project.
View Course Syllabus
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