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Comparing the role of Archeologists and Anthropologists using Jericho and Kennewick Man

by Rit Nosotro

Comparative Essay

Compare and contrast the roles of an archeologist and an anthropologist.

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Thesis:

Summary:

Do archaeologist and anthropologists waste each other’s time by studying the same thing? Archaeologists and anthropologists are often found in the same areas at the same time, and they are studying the same thing. The difference is for what each is looking. Archaeologists are looking for historical evidence within the site that they happen to be studying, while anthropologists are trying to understand the time and society in which the people had lived.

The American Heritage Dictionary describes archaeology by the following words, “The systematic recovery and study of material evidence remaining from the past human cultures.” Archaeologists start to dig in a region to find evidence to support things that are believed to have happened in the region. For example, four archaeologists over the past one hundred years have studied the site where the city Jericho used to stand, for in the Bible there is an event that took place at this site. The event read out of Joshua chapter six goes like this,
“On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven times in the same manner, except that on that day they circled the city seven times. The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the people, ‘Shout! For the Lord has given you the city!” Verses15-16. “When the trumpets sounded, the people shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the people gave a loud shout the wall collapsed; so every man charged straight in and they took the city.” Verse 20.

Through the studies done by all four archaeologists, they all came to the conclusion that the biblical account is true. John Garstang, one of the four archaeologists, stated this fact, “As to the main fact, then, there remains no doubt; the walls fell outwards so completely, the attackers would be able to clamber up and over the ruins of the city.” This holds true to what is read in verse 20 above. If the walls had been attacked by the foe, then the walls would have caved inward not outward.

"When archaeologist Kathleen Kenyon worked at the site of Jericho in the 1950s, she stated that she had not found collapsed walls or anything which proved habitation of Jericho during the time of Joshua. In short, there was no battle for him to fight. There was, however, an earlier, fortress city that around 1550 BC showed signs of destruction. There were fallen walls and a layer of ash a yard thick, a clear sign of violent destruction by fire. Her interpretation, however, was that this happened before the Israelites captured Jericho. Skeptics appropriated her findings as absolute proof that Joshua and the Battle of Jericho simply did not happen." (The Berean Call Newsletter, 08 Nov 2004)

Bryant G. Wood, archaeologist and editor of "Bible and Spade," discovered that Kenyon had incorrectly dated her finds. The conquest of Jericho actually took place in the 1400s BC. During this time, Joshua was certainly there. Wood demonstrated that the carbon-14 datings, stratigraphy, pottery , and other evidences, including fallen walls, give archaeological confirmation to the Bible account in Joshua 6. (Bryant G. Wood, "Did the Israelites Conquer Jericho?", "Bible Archaeology Review", March/April 1990, 44-58).

While archaeologists were busy trying to figure out what happened at the city of Jericho, anthropologists were studying along side archaeologists in the United States about the Kennewick Man. Anthropologists studied the remains of a 5’10” man that archaeologists had found. Anthropologists studied this man to find out of what race he was and why might he have an arrowhead in his pelvis. Anthropologists, when they arrived on the scene, said that this man was probably a traveler on the Oregon Trail. After some carbon dating testing they came up with the fact that the skeleton was really from about 9300 years ago. That disproved the anthropologists first guess. Although the carbon date testing time could have been wrong, the anthropologist’s based their theories on the testing. The anthropologists went to study the man and concluded that he was of Caucasian descent. Then the anthropologists came up with the theory that maybe Caucasians came to America first. The anthropologists then came up with the hypothesis that there was genocide led by Native Americans of long ago and the white people were killed off. When four Indian tribes around the site requested the body to be reburied, more suspicion rose about the theory that the anthropologists had come up with. Before they could go back to try to uncover more evidence, President Bill Clinton sided with the Indians and hired the Army Corps to bury and plant the area with fast growing trees that had entangling root systems. President Clinton was believed to have done this because the Native Americans supported his election. By the time anthropologists went back to the site, there was a mini forest in the spot. Therefore the anthropologists were not able to really find out what the social status of the man was or what might have caused him to be shot. The Kennewick man has not been reburied and remains in very good condition today.

The two examples above explain about the archaeologists and anthropologists and show that their jobs are very similar, but that they look for a couple different things. Archaeologists went to where Jericho used to stand to try and discover what really happened at that spot. They wanted to find out if the biblical account was true or if the account was just a fable. When the archaeologists realized that the walls had definitely collapsed outwards, they all believe that the account found in Joshua Chapter 6 was correct. Archaeologists have proven that many of the accounts in the Bible stand to be true by studying artifacts within the area. They have not yet found a site that is described in the Bible where the account of the place was wrong.

While archaeologists are wondering what the history of something is, anthropologists are studying the people, their society and the causes of their death. They mostly look at artifacts to find out what the culture was like and then they try to find out what kind of people lived there. They were trying to find out how the Kennewick man had died and who shot him, but they were not able to because of government interference. The difference between archaeologists and anthropologists is that archaeologists study the artifacts of historical events, while anthropologists focus on the people to discover what the society was and how that group of people lived.

1. Who led the Israelites into battle in Jericho?
A. Joshua
B. Mr. Nosotro
C. Saul
C. Jesus
D. Bill Clinton
E. Kennewick Man

2. Which President did not allow studying for the Kennewick man to continue?
A. George Washington
B. Bill Clinton
C. John Garstang
D. William Kennewick
E. The Who

3. How old was the Kennewick man said to be from carbon date testing?
A. 150
B. 900
C. 3000
D. 9300
E. 15,000

4. Archaeologists mostly study this.
A. Fables and Myths
B. Dead Rock ‘n’ rollers, e.g., The Grateful Dead and Elvis Pelvis
C. Artifacts
D. Dirt
E. Beetles

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