Archaeologists use objects to study the human past

Archaeologists use objects to study the human past. . . .

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TRASH!!

How Garbage Becomes Archaeology

Pompeii, Italy, August 24 A.D. 79

Mount Vesuvius erupts.

Today, Pomeii is famous for showing us a Roman town, frozen in time.

. . .

Many of the artifacts archaeologists study were left behind or thrown out because they were old, worn out, or broken. In other words. . .

Trash!

Where does trash come from?

Each activity produces

its own kind of trash.

Where does trash go?

People dispose of trash in lots of different ways. After things are thrown away, they

usually rot or decay in some way.

Archaeologists are very interested in how things decay!

Word for the Day:

Taphonomy:The study of how things rot.(From Greek, for the laws of burial)

Archaeological Cookies

Another word for the day:

Stratigraphy:Layers of soil and/or

artifacts