Observations vs. Inference
This is a statement about what you directly see, hear, or measure.
What is an observation?
An object made or used by humans.
What is an artifact?
You find a fork, spoon, and plate together . What area might you be excavating?
What is a kitchen or dining area?
If you find coins under a floorboard, what might that suggest?
Someone hid or stored them there.
This famous tomb discovery in Egypt was filled with artifacts that helped archaeologists understand ancient royalty.
What is Tutankhamun's tomb?
"You see a cracked bowl." Saying "It was dropped" is this type of statement.
What is an inference?
The study of past human societies through materials and remains.
What is archaeology?
Why might a broken toy be important to archaeologists?
It tells us about children, play, daily life, or family structure.
Why is a context just as important as the artifact itself?
Because where it's found helps explain how it was used.
This buried Roman city helps archaeologists study daily life because it was preserved by volcanic ash.
What is Pompeii?
Why is it important to separate observation from inference in archaeology?
Because observations are facts, while inferences are interpretations that may be wrong.
The location and position where an artifact is found.
What is context?
If you find sports trophies and cleats together, what can you infer?
The person may have been an athlete or involved in sports.
If an artifact is removed without recording its location, what is lost?
Important contextual information
This Inca site in Peru helps archaeologists study architecture and daily life in the mountains.
What is Machu Picchu?
You find a shoe that is very small. Saying "it belonged to a child " is an example of what?
What is an inference?
A testable explanation based on evidence.
What is a hypothesis?
Why shouldn't archaeologist immediately decide what an artifact means?
Because new evidence could change the interpretation.
At sites like Pompeii, why is context especially valuable?
Because objects were preserved exactly where people left them, showing daily life.
Why can two archaeologists disagree about the same site?
Because interpretation is based on evidence, and evidence can be understood in different ways.
Give an example of an observation and one inference about a rusty key.
Answers will vary. Example Observation - The key is metal and rusted. Inference - It is very old"
Physical objects created or used by a society.
What is a material culture?
How can modern bias affect artifact interpretation?
We might interpret objects using our own culture assumptions instead of understanding the past culture.
How can artifacts found together change their meaning?
They may show how items were used together or part of a specific activity.
Why is archaeology sometimes compared to detective work?
Because archaeologists use clues and evidence to reconstruct what happened in the past.