Friday, August 26, 2011

Anthropology and Archaeology

Simply put, archaeology is the science of digging things up, trying to figure out what they are and using an educated guess to decide what they meant to the culture you are studying. Anthropology is the study of cultures. In this unit, students will learn a little about the art and science of studying the past—tools, methods and resource—in preparation, of course, for their own explorations. Of particular focus is evaluation of source materials to determine their usefulness for a given area of research. For more information on archaeology, check out this website hosted by the BBC. You can learn more about excavation techniques and something about archaeolgy worldwide, though it focusses mainly on the British Isles. There's even a challenging activity that puts you at the helm of an archaeological dig. Smithsonian Institution K-12 Anthropology Site It may take a little reading and cyber navigation, but if you're interested in learning more about what's going on in anthropology and archaeology, this site will get you there. I've been warning students for years now about the dangers of the internet as a research tool, primarily because any kook with a computer can put something on the web. (I mean, really, you're reading this aren't you?) You could be out surfing and land on some site talking about how some people found some mystery item in the mountains of California (that, described, sounds suspiciously like a spark plug). That's where your friendly, neighborhood Smithsonian Institution comes in. This link leads to a site that does a great job covering the spectrum of Archaeology and Anthropology. The Smithsonian is a top-shelf organization and they've done all the hard work for you—kept you safe from the looney fake sites. And that's a good thing. Another Anthropology site, the National Geographic Society hosts an interactive site chronicling the work of Dr. Spencer Wells. This site outlines the spread of Homo sapiens sapiens around the globe. Check out the Interactive Atlas of the Human Journey. .




BBC World News

  • Hezbollah promises Syria 'victory'
    • The leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah group promises victory in Syria where his supporters are backing President al-Assad, amid an upsurge in fighting there.
  • 'Maoist rebels' kill 16 in India
    • At least 16 people, including a senior leader of India's ruling Congress party, are killed after their convoy was attacked by Maoist rebels, officials say.
  • Pakistan bus fire kills 16 children
    • At least 16 children and a teacher are killed in a fire on their school bus in the eastern Pakistan of Gujrat, police say.
  • 'Black widow' bombing in Russia
    • A suicide bomber has blown herself up close to an interior ministry building in the southern Russian republic of Dagestan, officials say.
  • 'Mafia martyr' Puglisi beatified
    • More than 50,000 people attend the beatification in Sicily of Don Giuseppe Puglisi, a Roman Catholic priest murdered by the mafia in 1993.
  • Bridge collapses after US rail crash
    • Two goods trains collide in the US state of Missouri, bringing down a road bridge and leaving seven people injured.