Ethnoarchaeologists study modern societies to better understand prehistoric human behavior and the purpose of artifacts. They incorporate data from museums, experiments, and observations of living societies. The study of Nunamiut Eskimos helped archaeologist Lewis Binford understand the seemingly random nature of animal bones found at prehistoric sites in northern Alaska. Some traditional archaeologists criticize ethnoarchaeology, arguing that theories developed by studying modern people may be invalid.
Ethnoarchaeologists examine the behavior of modern societies to help understand the activities of prehistoric people. They go beyond studying artifacts left behind at archaeological sites, looking for clues about human behavior. Looking at societies today, ethnoarchaeologists can infer that artifacts served a similar purpose in the past as they do today. They form a hypothesis from material left behind by ancient societies, using cultural information from existing people groups.
Traditional archaeologists identify, classify, interpret and attempt to date artifacts found at sites. They try to learn how people adapted to the environment through what was left behind. Ethnoarchaeologists add human behavior to the puzzle to better understand prehistoric life. They incorporate data from museums, experiments and observations of living societies.
One of the most famous studies cited by ethnoarchaeologists involved the Nunamiut Eskimos who live in northern Alaska. Archaeologist Lewis Binford has attempted to understand the seemingly random nature of animal bones found at prehistoric sites in the region. He began to observe Nunamiut society and how they conducted caribou hunts twice a year.
The study included ways in which Eskimos adapted to the hostile environment in which they lived. This hunter-gatherer society endured bitterly cold winters and total darkness more than half of each year. Binford discovered that the Nunamiut lived in base camps and used smaller, temporary camps during their hunts. The animals were butchered in the hunting grounds and the bones left behind, often along with the tools used to cut and prepare the meat.
The studies were also conducted by ethnoarchaeologists who analyze Native American and Australian Aboriginal populations. Some scientists believe that certain activities reflect common purposes throughout history. They conclude that there is no way to know positively what happened in the past, but the analysis of the present contributes to archaeological knowledge.
Ethnoarchaeologists explore ways people process food and use the tools they need for survival. They hope to understand how prehistoric people evolved and used improved technology to further their survival. These scientists use published and unpublished information passed down through generations to help understand the past by exploring archaeological sites using traditional methods.
Some traditional archaeologists have critical views of ethnoarchaeology, calling it new archaeology. They argue that theories developed by studying modern people give no more than a probable analogy which may be invalid. These researchers believe that empirical evidence found in prehistoric sites should stand out from modern inferences.
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