Garbage Archaeology 2

Experience Lab/ Field Research 

Bioanthropology 215 
 

(​Jane’s Interview​)

Student Requirements:

∙ Create a presentation based on the guidelines below, and paste it on to the discussion board.
∙ If you like, you can also attach your GA 2 presentation in .word or .rtf format, but please DO

paste as well. This makes the presentations more accessible to all!
∙ Write at least two thoughtful, substantive responses to at least two of your classmate’s

presentations, according to the guidelines below.

When archaeologists study the remains of human culture, much of the evidence we have to work with is
actually the refuse, or garbage, that individuals and groups have left behind. Archaeologists find the
remains of various items ​in situ​, then catalogue them carefully, taking care to note their location and
relationship to other objects. It is these remains of material culture that have given us much of the
information we now have about prehistoric human societies.

Your lab assignment is to evaluate modern garbage, as an archaeologist, and extrapolate as much as you
can about our culture, based on your material evidence, using the structures and principles outlined in ​The
Story of Stuff​. ​www.storyofstuff.com

The first step in this assignment is to choose a piece of garbage (hereafter referred to as “evidence”).
Your evidence can be something that you have seen in the trash, have thrown away recently or are about
to throw away, or something that someone you know is throwing away. It could even be a piece of
furniture that someone has placed on a street corner. You have complete freedom as far as the evidence
you choose to research. It can be a ziplock bag, a battery, chicken bones, a computer, furniture, even an
old car. Please include a picture of the item you have chosen to research; ideally this would be a digital
photo that you have taken yourself (in situ), but if this is not possible, at least a representation of the
evidence from the web (always include citations for web sources).

Use the five stages of materials economy outlined in ​The Story of Stuff ​to research the extraction,
production, distribution, consumption, and disposal of your evidence.

Propose an alternative solution that addresses problems in at least two stages of the materials
economy. ​These can be problems related to pollution, over-consumption, social justice, or any other
aspect of the system. The solutions can be grass-roots or institutional, and they can be implemented at the
individual, community, or state level. The solutions must be realistic, and the processes must be realistic
and clearly explained in your online presentations. See the presentation template below.

Presentations should be pasted onto the d-board. Pictures will usually come through most reliably as
attachments. You should approach these presentations and peer reviews as though you were professional
archaeologists. Before posting to the d-board, all presentations should be carefully proofread and edited.

After all the presentations have been submitted, each student is to write a thoughtful response to at least 2
of your peers’ presentations. The responses should be at least 150 words, and should exhibit the same
level of professionalism as the presentations. Please do your best to respond as you think an archaeologist
would respond, in a peer review situation. Engage with specific points in the presentation. Comment on
the strengths of the presentation, and offer suggestions and ideas for improvement in a constructive way.
If possible, make connections to your own research, and draw parallels or make contrasts.

Enjoy your stint as archaeologists. I look forward to reading your presentations and reviews.

Template for Garbage Archaeology Presentations:

Title

http://www.storyofstuff.com/

Student name

Brief Introduction of your evidence (3-5 sentences).

1. Extraction (about one paragraph)
2. Production (about one paragraph)
3. Distribution (about one paragraph)
4. Consumption (about one paragraph)
5. Disposal (about one paragraph)

Alternate solutions or approaches to the material cycle of your evidence (1-2 paragraphs)

A conclusion (3-7 sentences).

Your works cited, citing all sources.

∙