The archeologist whose business it is to bring to light by pick and spade the relics of bygone ages, is often accused of devoting his energies to work which is of no material profit to mankind at the present day. Archeology is an unapplied science and apart from its connection with what is called culture, the critic is inclined to judge it as a pleasant and worthless amusement. There is nothing, the critic tells us, of pertinent value to be learned from the past which will be of use to the ordinary person of the present time and though the h can offer acceptable information to the painter, to the theologian, to the philologist, and indeed to most of the followers of the arts and sciences, he has nothing to give to the ordinary person.
In some directions the imputation is unanswerable and when the interests of modern times clash with those of the past, as, for example, in Egypt where a beneficial reservoir has destroyed the remains of early days, there can be no question that the recording of the threatened information and the minimizing of the destruction, is all that the value of the archeologist’s work entitles him to ask for. The critic, however, usually overlooks some of the chief reasons that archeology can give for even this much consideration, reasons which constitute its modern usefulness; and I therefore propose to point out to him three or four of the many claims which it may make upon the attention of the layman.
In the first place it is necessary to define the meaning of the term Archeology. It is the study of the facts of ancient history and ancient lore. The word is applied to the study of all ancient documents and objects which may be classed as antiquities which the evidence has to be excavated or otherwise discovered. The age at which an object becomes an antiquity, however, is quite undefined, though practically it may be reckoned at a hundred years, and ancient history is the tale of any period which is not modern. Thus he does not necessarily deal solely with the remote ages.
Every chronicler of the events of the less recent times who goes to the original documents for his facts, as true historians must do during at least a part of their studies, is an archeologist and, conversely, every archeologist who in the course of his work states a series of historical facts, becomes an historian. Archeology and history are inseparable and nothing is more detrimental to a noble science than the attitude of certain so-called archeologists who devote their entire time to the study of a sequence of objects without proper consideration for the history which those objects reveal. Antiquities are the relics of human mental energy. Tey can no more be classified without reference to the minds which produced them than geological specimens can be discussed without regard to the earth. There is only one thing worse than the attitude of the archeologist who does not study the story of the periods with which he is dealing, or construct, if only in his thoughts, living history out of the objects discovered by him. That is the attitude of the historian who has not familiarized himself with the actual relics left by the people of whom he writes, or has not, when possible, visited their lands. There are many archeologists who do not care a snap of the fingers for history, surprising as this may appear. There are many historians who take no interest in manners and customs. The influence of either is pernicious.
It is to be understood, therefore, that in using the word Archeology I include History. I refer to history supplemented by the study of the arts, crafts, manners, and customs of the period under consideration.
As a first argument the value of archeology in providing a precedent for important occurrences may be considered. It is the structure of ancient history, and it is the voice of history which tells us that a Cretan is always a Cretan, and a Jew always a Jew. History may well take her place as a definite asset of statecraft, and the law of Precedent may be regarded as a fundamental factor in international politics. What has happened before may happen again. It is by his hand that directs our attention to the affairs and circumstances of olden times, and warns us of the possibilities of their recurrence. It may be said that the statesman who has ranged in the front of his mind the proven characteristics of the people with whom he is dealing has a perquisite of the utmost importance.
By: Terry Kubiak
About the Author:
http://www.worldwidestore.com/
Peru holds a significant and diverse prospective for vacations, with great informative and archaeological legacy, monuments and natural confined regions. The magnetism, possessions and tourist products helps placing Peru in a privileged position.
Peru is mainly perceived as a historic-archaeological place, with Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca and the Nazca Lines as major tourist attractions. The other Areas of interest for tourists are ecotourism, adventure travel and spiritual tours.
With Peru tour, you can discover the first Pan-Andean civilization that of Chavín, which features stone temples puzzled with intricate galleries at the height… Continue reading
Living (human) mind was the driving forces of (politics and economy) all societies from ancient civilizations to the date of emergence of Christianity in the world.
(7 of 10) How does both the Marxist and capitalist philosophical crisis get stimulus from the each other?
Many ancient human settlements have been emerged, existed, and taken its directions either on its own to exist for many centuries with its internal subjective developments basing upon its specialized principles in each and in every sphere against its external threats which were always tended to assimilate it… Continue reading
Character education is a term which is often heard and everyone claims to know what this term means. But in actual terms there are not so many people who have a clear understanding of this very important phrase. To comprehend this term, let’s begin with the term character. What is character? A character is the reflection of ones personality. Your traits, your habits, what you do, what you say, the way you walk, talk, eat, deal with people all comprises your character and personality.
Character education… Continue reading
Comments