The Five-Minute Archaeologist in the Southern Levant - Cynthia Shafer-Elliott
49. Why study garbage?
The Five-Minute Archaeologist in the Southern Levant - Cynthia Shafer-Elliott
Deirdre N. Fulton
Baylor University
Description
Archaeologists spend much of their time carefully excavating the trash piles of ancient peoples. Why is this the case? Garbage yields important data for reconstructing past behaviors. Garbage dumps also help archaeologists understand the changes that a site undergoes over time. In other words, a garbage dump provides a window into the ancient occupation of a site.