Abstract: In US popular culture, the word “archaeology” often conjures up images of buried treasure, ancient ruins, daring adventurers, and perhaps even dinosaurs or aliens. In reality, the discipline of archaeology is the study of the material traces of the human past. These traces include everything from human-made objects such as pottery, stone tools, and architecture, to animal bones, plant remains, and human skeletons. Rather than seeking out individual artifacts because of their aesthetic or monetary value (*cough, cough* Indiana Jones, *cough,...
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