By Stanley South ...we grad students have to read a lot...

So pls. to explain 'historical archaeology'. Isn't everything we dig up historical in some sense? Whether it's Jimmy Hoffa's remains/or the neighbor's dog that mysteriously disappeared last month. Isn't the term redundant? And you can't know what you're going to find will be of any real historical value until you've excavated it/becuz you don't know what's down there. But all archaeologists seek to i.d. & classify their finds in relation to history, yes? Otherwise/they'd be no better than a dog digging for the hell of it. Is there such a thing as non-historical archaeology? How'd you choose thie field anyway? Didn't get to spend enuf time making mud pies in the yard & trying to dig to China as a kid, eh Sem? ;)

Not nearly enuf time! Historical Archaeology refers to the study of, well, the Historical period, or the time when literacy became fairly widespread, even in Europe. In britain, they call it "Post-Medieval Archaeology". At first, it started out excavating places like Mt. Vernon, you know famous places and people. But now historical archaeologists try to use the clues left behind by folks to understand such diverse things as attitudes towards temperance movements, gender issues, class differences, you name it, it's probably been studied. A lot of focus has been on the effects of colonialism and the beginnings of the world economy. The book deals with stressing the scientific method in archaeology, like figuring out artifact patterns that can be predictive. For example, 17th and 18th century pipe stem diameters can be measured and used as a dating tool. More info can be found at the Society for Historical Archaeology website: www.sha.org (I think that's what it is anyhow)

You watch your mouth! Let's keep this smut in the schools where it belongs!

Hey, she asked, buddy. I should let you know, though, that historical archaeologists are pretty fun to party with, when they're not writing books. It can get pretty wild at conferences. The last one was in SLC and they had to stress several times that yes, you could drink and purchase alcohol in Mormondania.

Yeah -- at one bar/which closes @ 11:30. Anyone wishing to drink after last call is legally obligated to marry all the waitresses.

Well, no, but It's almost that weird. All the bars are "members only" ( a mormon law), but to become a member, one guy in your party pays $5, and he can "sponser" as many people as he likes to be his "guests". Pretty stupid. If you do find yourself in SLC, there's actually a really good bar called Burt's Tiki Lounge. We drank them out of PBR (on tap and served in pints).

Lama, So what's the deal with the Anasazi? cannibals or not? why is this such a thing w/the archeo/paleos?