Archaeology Aims - Case Study Example

Evaluate the potential contribution that the study of archaeologically retrieved human remains can make to archaeology. To begin with, there is a dire need to understand what archaeology is all about and then only one can find the basis of the contributions that the study of the same field owes towards the human remains and the like. Archaeology deals with the study of the human cultures that have been discovered through the means of recovery, manifestation as well as close analysis related with the remains and environmental data that has been gathered. This gets its basis with the help and facilitation of the varied pieces of architecture, artifacts, bio-facts and the landscapes to name a few. To put it more bluntly, archaeology aims to determine the rationale behind the basis of these remains and thus it derives significance from the fact that these remains had on the evolution of human beings, animals, plants and landscape structures so to speak. Archaeology is considered to be one of the four sub-fields of anthropology. It has played a huge role in the prehistoric times as well as that of the historic societies and continues to be a basis of excitement for the archaeologists of current times. The way in which culture and ecology are mixed with archaeology is something that comes as a point of interest for one and all and more so the archaeologists, no matter which era they belonged from. What archaeology wants to offer to the mankind is a relation with the past though the present times so that the future basis of these artifacts and so on ensures the proper connectivity levels which man is willing to find out for his needs today. There is a need to understand what these remains encompassed within them and how the same could be exploited upon in a manner which could benefit the whole ecological basis of mankind. The cultural evolution seems to be amiss if there is improper liaison with the human remains that have been discovered courtesy the archaeological basis and there must be an adequate level of documentation so as to ensure that a link is formed up at all possible stages within the very process. Archaeological remains enable mankind to understand his past and how his ancestors used to be different from what he is in the present times. It also provides him a thinking mindset and a foreseeing future for his coming generations and the differences that they could adopt with the passage of time. These differences and alterations in the coming eras could very easily connect with the characteristics and traits of the people that are manifested time and again and consequently all effort and endeavors must be put in place to guarantee that there is a close examination of these traits, actions and behaviors. Ecology has got an immense role at understanding the archaeological basis of human remains since the fossils and related elements that are buried deep down inside the earth contribute to the understanding of the different archaeological types, processes and means. There is a direct connection of these elements that are hidden to the basis of human beings which were existent in the past and thus a lot of reference could be derived with their discovery. However the pivotal point here to comprehend is that not all human remains owe something that could form the basis of significance for the archaeologists. There are remains of human beings which died couple of centuries ago and thus there exist absolutely no connection or linkage with these remains. The reason for the same is that the people which existed 200 years back were more or less the same as are living in the present times. However it would be a totally different exercise and one that would be considered fruitful, altogether if the exploration is based on finding the details related with human beings which existed say 3000 years back or way back. One could start understanding the linkage points of association as well as disassociation from there only and as a result of these traits, we could understand the basis of human evolution, advancement and other forms that have shaped up our history. The reason for the archaeologically-retrieved human remains to be a source of interest for the archaeologists of today as well as that of the historic times lies in the fact that these remains give a lot of clue and basis as to how the societies existed in the past, how the men and women looked like, what their traits and characteristics used to be like and how they lived in the ecological settings of their respective times. These pieces of information and data that is gathered from time to time by the archaeologists provides a real source of inspiration and encouragement for the archaeologists as well as those people who want to pursue with the field of archaeology in the future. The human remains are often chronologically placed whilst at other times they are sorted out in a random order. These remains are seen in the light of their price and quality, with the most recent one in the best quality as compared to the archaeological remains that have been discovered courtesy the very distant past. However the antiquity of the remains also make these archaeological remains a hot property and any archaeological would like to get his hands on them all said and done. Archaeology is now currently being linked with the basis of ethnography which aims to study the writing of the different degrees related with the qualitative as well as the quantitative details of human social phenomena and a lot of the emphasis and description for ethnography comes from fieldwork. Thus the relation of archaeology and ethnography becomes a point of interest coming directly under the heading of cultural as well as social anthropology. Archaeology mingles with the living traditions of the past as well as tries to form a basis with the ones that are in place in the current times. The archaeologically retrieved remains are applicable for both human beings as well as animals and not to forget the different elements of the ecological basis. The different methodologies and techniques that are used in archaeology contribute in one more ways than one towards the whole basis of the archaeological remains in line with human beings. What this means is the fact that archaeology aims to study the evolutionary concepts, its basis and the functions that will essentially change with the duration of certain time periods in the future based upon the changes and alterations that have already happened in the past. This gives the archaeologists a clear idea as to how to examine the rationale for the past regimes and what they could do in order to have a better understanding of the human remains in terms of evolution, excavating techniques, description of new sites that are discerned for the sake of archaeology of human remains and so on and so forth. Thus there is a clear cut understanding of the different methodologies which are put to practice with the passage of time and it is without a shadow of a doubt that the archaeologists have been doing a lot of brilliant work in the said fields over a period of time. Every archaeological detail provides a sense of in-depth knowledge and much needed research on which the archaeologists base their comprehension and understanding and thus devise new ways and means to examine and understand what is going to happen next since the ecological regimes are in a continuous basis of change and modification every now and then. Archaeology is a very vast subject and the human remains and its related studies are just a sub-field of the very subject. The important thing here is to understand the basis of other sub-fields when we speak of the archaeological link with human remains solely. We must also understand that archaeology takes into consideration the animal remains; the plant remains and a number of other pieces of archaeological importance hailing from the past. With this form of consideration on our side, we can have a better grasp of how things were in the past and under what conditions and circumstances these changes happened. The rationale would be so much clearer if the archaeologists have an in-depth understanding of each and every detail that they could obtain. The archaeologically retrieved human remains could be found out through a number of ways – which include both the survey methods as well as the excavation basis. However one thing common between the two methods lies in the fact that the end result is the same – to seek more and more about the human or animal remains and to contribute to the cause of archaeology all said and done. Archaeology thus is a world within its own self and it is better to have a know-how of what this field of science could contribute to humanity and eventually to science itself. The more resources that are applied to this field and endeavors put in proper direction, the more fruitful results would be at the very end. Since science is advancing at a rapid rate and there are related developments within the relevant sub-fields, one could expect to see a lot of miracles to happen in the near future. There would be a number of instances where archaeologists would aim to contribute in a better and more effective manner than they have already done so in the past. This could include the genetic basis of the human remains as well as the essentials that contribute to the field of genetics like mutations, presence of chromosomes, genes, DNA, RNA and so on. The whole field of genetic engineering is sure to have its share of profits when archaeologists understand the very basics related with archaeology and its linkage with the human remains. The important thing is to allocate proper and adequate resources to the well being of the archaeologists and indeed to the whole field of archaeology so that excavation and survey works could be carried out in an effective manner and there is more basis for growth and improvement within the relevant ranks. The field of archaeology demands a lot of patience and tolerance from the people who govern this sector since the results might not be forthcoming at times but it would guarantee that the end results, as and when they come, would form the basis for the coming generations and eras. They would get to know better about what was the norm and human systems in the past and thus advancements and technological changes would improve what would be the case in the coming times. In the end, it would be fitting to suggest here that archaeologically retrieved human remains depends a great deal on the field of archaeology and the manner in which facts are found over a period of time. If the data and information is so derived to suit the whims of certain individuals and/or institutions, then the work will take a back seat and there would be no improvements in the said field. The need of the hour is to invest a lot of resources in this field and to wait for the desired results with persistent efforts left, right and center. The future of archaeology seems to rest on the shoulders of the students who are associated with this field as well as the researchers who are doing their best to understand the basis of human remains more and more. Now it up to the respective governments as to how they enact certain policies, which contribute to the overall basis of archaeology and the field, related with it. The archaeological periods must not stop and let the children of today learn from the yesteryears. In fact the precedent should be that the children of tomorrow should learn from the people who are alive today and this would indeed keep the ball rolling for years and years to come. BIBLIOGRAPHY Kohn, Marek. Human Remains. Grateful Dead. New Statesman, Vol. 135, 6 November 2006 Word Count: 2,001 Read More