I need an archaeology topic/debate/ANYTHING!?

Question

I have a 12 page paper due soon and I have no idea what to write about!!! The topic is "any current archaeology debate, time period, aspect of material culture, etc particularly relating to NORTH american archaeology" (nice and specific, right?). I'm desperate! I like the colonial American time period and the material culture associated with but I don't know what specific niche I could find a lot of library research on. Help!

Answer 1

Here is a good opinion piece to write for Archaeology:

"The belief that places like Machu Piccu were built by Atlanteans or aliens is reflective of an inherant racism that postulates that only Europeans have the capacity to build large structures without complex equipment."

Google aliens and South America and you'll probably find the articles you need to cite for both sides.

It's only a dumb topic if you address it as if the other side is legitimate if you discuss how it is *founded in racism*, you'll get an A. I suggested googling south america because the same authors talk about things in Mexico and Florida. The DEBATE in archaeology regarding this stupidity is NOT whether or not it is REAL, because no one thinks it is, but whether or not it is HARMLESS.

I've seen really brilliant papers go by when I was a TA grading archaeology papers the one approaching this got an A. It's a paper that is EASY for someone who isn't comfortable with a lot of library research. (and you should become comfortable)

Answer 2

Try the foundations of christianity.

Answer 3

I just recently had to do something similar so here are a few ideas pertaining to archaeology: NAGPRA, Cahokia, Spiro Mounds, Cannibalism, Function vs Style (concerning ways to identify artifacts).  If you could do social anthropology I would recommend FGM, cultural relativism (how far is to far), anthropologists as spies for the government.  I hope that this helps.

Answer 4

Read the "Tell" by James Mischner

Answer 5

A great paper topic would be the controversy surrounding the discovery of "Kennewick Man".

Kennewick Man is the name of a set of human remains found in Washington in the mid-1990s. The controversy relates to who has the right to decide what happens to his remains. The remains are incredibly old, and therefore could allow scientists to gain insight into the peopleing of the Americas. However, several Native American groups have claimed that Kennewick man as an ancestor and want the remains to recieve traditional burial and not be disturbed through scientific investigation. Though various legal rulings have been made in favor of either side, the controversy has not been resolved in over ten years.

This subject would be a great paper topic. First of all, it is a big controversy so you won't have a problem finding both scholarly and popular sources. Furthermore, though scientific knowledge is an important issue to the case, it also spans concerns related to Native American rights, and representations of science and indigeneity in the popular media.

I hope this helps, and good luck!

Answer 6

A good theoretical debate would be the difference between American Archaeology which is rooted in anthropology and European Archaeology (rooted in antiquarinism) which is itself its own discipline.  However you would have to distinguish that Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology in the US is seperate (for the most part) from Anthropological Archaeology.  This debate is important to North American Archaeology because different universities in the US train archaeologist in either the European or American way thus creating a schism relating to practice, method, and theory in the American archaeological community.

Don't do anything related to Pseudoarchaeology (ie that Machu Pichu was built by the Atlanteans/Aliens, for someone to even suggest that shows their ignorance of what archaeology really is) if you are doing this for an anthropology/archaeology class that is a sure way to make a total fool of yourself and to get a low grade.

Answer 7

Since the Jamestown anniversary is this year, I would suggest researching the colonial development that sprang from the Jamestown settlements and the issues that the original participants faced.

Smithsonian Magazine just did an article that discussed some of the factors that were involved in the Algonquin settlement that was crucial to the survival of Jamestown and its inhabitants.

The article is called "The Lost City of Powhatan".

the links below offer some other background information as well.

Good Luck!

Answer 8

Do a paper on the local garbage dump in your own town and how it can teach us about the history of your area. History of the dump, levels of trash, what's at the bottom.......

Answer 9

well, you could look at the divide between binford's 'new Archaeology' vs post processualism

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) vs heuristic studies ie phenomenology (Chris Tilley)

maybe american field method vs european ones ie the checker board vs the trench

evolutionary archaeology and the role of agent based simulation

im not too hot on North american current debates but these are the current european/british ones

the role of the media in archaeology/public archaeology - how archaeologists are always the villan(grave robber/tomb raider) they cause problems - Carter and the Tutancarmoon - the curse of the mummy.

films / tv

-Indiana Jones

-Tomb Raider

-Dr Who (BBC 2006/5) - an archaeologist decifered some markings and called forth the devil!

-the Mummy

-on sky loosely Bones (sorry watching it at the mo and they are about to do a very rapid GPR survey and they are using metal detectors - it took them 30 seconds and some very dodgey camera work lol )

also Channel 4's Time Team (British)

I agree with 'bush saves...' as in the two approaches between american and european methodologies in particular you could look at Ian Hodder, whom after his employment at an american univeristy split the department in two! due to the opposing viewpoints!

if you want any bibliographic references i can try and provide you with some, these topics are a bit biased as im doing a masters at University College London in GIS - and its all ive got on my mind.

Good luck

Gary

Answer 10

One subject that has been particularly contentious in recent history, for North American archaeology, is the passage of NAGPRA, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. It basically returns human remains and items of cultural affiliation to their original owners. The Act was passed in 1990, but it is still debated about, and had a huge impact here in North America. No shortage of material there, and I should know. It's a topic I've been researching myself.

Alternatively, you could look into the debate about the first Americans. Archaeologists are really going at it over who they were when they came here, etc.