sharing the past - Auckland Museum

Sharing the Past
Pollen: enormously long lived and shape specific
to each different plant, pollen can allow us to
glimpse back millions of years. It can give information
on vegetative cover, climate changes,
food production, and the diet of ancient civilizations
through coprolite analysis.
Pottery: easy and cheap to make, has been found
in sites up to10,000 years old. Although it was
often broken in daily use it is an extremely
durable material and does not dissolve. Pottery
shapes indicate its function which in turn gives
insight into daily life or ceremonial activities in a
particular community.
Experimentation: How was an ancient pot glazed,
what techniques were used and which raw materials?
Experiments using ancient firing methods
could provide the answers.
Replication: From evidence such as tomb decoration
or painted objects such as pottery it may be
possible to recreate a dwelling or craft using similar
materials and construction techniques.
Reconstruction: Mending, rebuilding or recreating
something old may highlight the types of skills
21 Teacher Background
Auckland Museum
Te Papa Whakahiku
SCIENTIFIC TOOLS OF THE ARCHAEOLOGIST
teacher background
Many different scientists are called upon today when an
archaeological dig begins. Specialists in different fields may
be consulted to provide analysis of varied aspects.
Pyramids of the Merotic rulers 300BC. They were built by the
kings of Napata who revived pyramid burial customs many
centuries after the pharaohs had stopped building them.
needed for this work.
Burials and bodies: Bones and teeth can provide
evidence of occupations or health history and
even surgical techniques. Wear on the teeth may
reveal dietary habits. Chemical markers can be
used to trace the region of birth. Many diseases
leave tell tale marks on growing bones to provide
evidence of childhood illness or periods of
famine. Clothing and jewellery can be reproduced,
dyes investigated and materials may indicate
contact with neighbouring areas or much further
afield. Grave goods, simple or immensely
complex, have given archaeologists some spectacular
insights.
In the 1920's, Ferlini, an Italian explorer looking
for treasure, blew the tops off more than 40 of
the 50 perfectly preserved pyramids of Meroe in
the Sudan. Since those days of slash, bash and
grab the gold, archaeological methods have
become a great deal more sensitive and careful.
Progressively new techniques and disciplines
have entered the field of archaeology the most
recent being the use of D.N.A evidence.
To broaden the picture of life in the past archaeologists
may call upon climatologists or perhaps
plant biologists to identify agricultural practices
near a site and work out why a certain group
ceased living in a previously advantageous area.
Experts in pottery may trace the origins of the
clay used in the pot shards found and thus puzzle
out trade routes used. Experts in building practices
may reconstruct the shape of an iron-age hut from
faint shadows on the ground in aerial photographs.
When Lord Carnavon entered Tutankhamun's
tomb he realised the ultimate fantasy. He
walked into an undisturbed Egyptian Pharaoh's