Although many people only think of Egyptian hieroglyphics when discussing the origins of written language, there is evidence that written language systems had been developed independently of each other around the world. Artifacts suggests that the earliest forms of written language originated in Mesopotamia, China, and Mesoamerica. A recent find has opened the door for reanalysis and for questioning regarding the early written records of Mesoamerica and their influence in the development of the area’s early languages. In the early 1990s, while building a road, what is now known as the Cascajal Block was found in Veracruz, Mexico, where the Olmec civilization once stood. This stone block was taken care of by cultural authorities and was examined in 1999 and 2006.

The Cascajal Block

Upon examination, archaeologists Carmen Rodriguez and Ponciano Ortiz revealed that the serpentine block contained sixty two images on one of its surfaces. After investigating the images on the block, they believed that an example of written text had been found. The pictures on the block appear to be arranged in a certain syntax, there are patterns and repeating images suggesting that the images are not just art or pictures but written language. Another interesting observation reveals that the block may have cleared or erased several times indicating possible personal use.

Although most agree that the images on the block are indeed evidence of a writing system, some controversy surrounds the dating of the block. The block was dated to around 900 BCE, this estimate was based on the pot sherds and other artifacts it was found with, so many do not trust that the true context of the artifact is known. If the dating holds true, then the Cascajal Block is the earliest evidence of written language in the Americas. This along with the fact that the images do not seem to connect to any other writing of the area or time period has added to the “mother-sister” debate regarding the Olmec civilization’s influence in Mesoamerica.

Map of Mesoamerica

The discovery of the Cascajal Block and the debates surrounding it can help us understand how different archaeological approaches and circles of thought can be used to gain a deeper understanding of the artifact and the Olmec civilization. Starting with a functionalists approach the block’s possible purposes may be examined, and here experimental archaeology techniques may be used to understand the functionality of the block as a personal writing tool. From this type of investigation, more questions will arise and can be asked. We can approach these questions from a more structuralist or processual view by looking into the social structures of Olmec civilization and how written language, text, and literacy were affected and affected structures such as gender and class or everyday life. With these ideas in mind, what are the possible implication of the Cascajal Block?

References:
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/313/5793/1551.full
http://archive.archaeology.org/0701/etc/learn.html
http://archaeology.about.com/od/olmeccivilization/a/cascajal_block_3.htm

Photo 1: http://archive.archaeology.org/0701/etc/learn.html
Photo 2: http://www.famsi.org/maps/

Additional Reading:
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/313/5793/1610.full
http://archive.archaeology.org/0601/abstracts/olmec.html

Recently, the skeleton of a 13 year old girl was found in Italy, and is believed to be from the early Middle Ages or late antiquity. The skeleton was found buried face-down –  a position that is popularly associated with those rejected by society, and the media have dubbed her the “Witch Girl”.

The skeleton of the “Witch Girl” found in Northern Italy

While burials often contain a lot symbolism and speak for the culture of the society, atypical burials allow archaeologists to glean insight into the society’s beliefs. Because of the shocking nature and uncommon occurrences of face-down burials, they provide a powerful contrast to the more common face-up burial.

Face-down, or prone burials are commonly associated with Europe and are constantly linked to those who were feared, despised, or not respected by the society around them. They are popularly connected to witches and others who were feared from beyond the grave as prone burials were one method from hindering the dead’s spirits from rising.

While our reading warns that there are very few symbols that exist that have meaning cross-culturally, it would seem as if prone burials are one of the exceptions (although of course this is not a rule). Over 600 of these burials have been documented cross-culturally and they consistently seem to bear a negative connotation for the buried individual.

However, the context of the negative connotation is extremely important and this differs through cultures and individual burials. Without context, the numbers can be misleading. For instance, prone burials occur most frequently in the Viking Age in Sweden, but only around 13% of each gravesite is composed of face-down burials. On the other hand, in Mexico in 1000 BC the proportions are much higher with around 90% of individuals per grave site buried face-down. Without cultural and symbolic context it is impossible to get the full picture. Although a lot is still unknown, it is believed that the frequency of prone burials increased as some Vikings turned from Paganism to Christianity, and these burials may show disdain for those who switched religions. In a grave site in Mexico, 74 skeletons were found face-down while six were sitting upright. Archaeologists believe this demonstrates a difference in social status rather than as a sign of disrespect.

Prone burials occur cross-culturally

How does this relate to the “Witch Girl” and the society she lived in? Without enough background evidence, we should not jump so quickly to the conclusion that she was considered a witch. Additional evidence from the site causes questions and concerns.  For instance, while most prone burials occur on the edges of gravesites, she was buried in a privileged section. Also, skeletal analysis suggests that she may have died from severe anemia. Whether she was truly considered a witch, and whether it was something her society had reject, remains unknown.

Understanding the symbolism behind the act can enlighten us as to the nature of the society that buried them this way, and why they did so.  However the significance of these symbols are tied to the context in which they are found.

References (and further reading)

1. http://news.discovery.com/history/archaeology/skeleton-of-possible-witch-girl-found-141006.htm
2.  Handler, J. S. (1996). A prone burial from a plantation slave cemetery in Barbados, West Indies: possible evidence for an African-type witch or other negatively viewed person. (30)3 76-86.   http://www.jstor.org/stable/25616477?seq=1 
3. http://www.archaeology.co.uk/articles/features/buried-face-down-prone-burials.htm
4. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/06/090623-facedown-burials.html

Photos

1. http://www.archaeology.co.uk/images/stories/ca/231/Fig-3%5B1%5D.Vannhog.jpg
2. http://static.ddmcdn.com/gif/prone-burial-141006.jpg

Archaeology Essentials tells us that the first step to understanding how symbols were used in past cultures is to establish a place, “by marking and delimiting territory and the territory of the community…thereby constructing a perceived landscape.” (Renfrew 250) One way to establish a sense of place is by documenting its acoustics, through an experimental archaeology process called archaeoacoustics, or acoustic archaeology. “Because spaces and buildings are long lasting, they preserve and memorialize the relationship between aural architecture and culture, conserving within the acoustics of a space the attitudes to sound of the context within which the building was created, and space was defined as a place.” (Till, Sound archaeology 295) Archaeoacoustics can give archaeologists a better perspective of past cultures by determining why they might have placed symbols of their culture in particular places. An example of acoustic archaeology is documented in Rupert Till’s article Sound archaeology: terminology, Palaeolithic cave art and the soundscape, in which Till and his team explored five caves in northern Spain that feature Palaeolithic art and or motifs. Their overall goal was to prove that the location of the cave paintings and engravings were linked to sound. The researchers were interested in acoustics relating to music within the caves. They wanted to determine if the caves themselves were chosen as spaces in which to spend time due to their ability to amplify music. The areas inside the caves with and without painting or engravings were tested in order to see if the placement of the art was due to the acoustics of the cave.

An image of a horse facing an Aurochs with a geometric design visible above the aurochs’ back, taken in the La Pasiega cave, one of the five caves that Till and his team researched.

Archaeoacoustics can grant archaeologists a view into the life of the peoples that they are studying by giving them ability to hear what the past peoples heard, and has been used across the globe, most famously in places like Stonehenge. Because of its detective-like powers, acoustic archaeology has also been used in detective shows. In fact, the reason why I first became interested in acoustic archaeology was because I was watching CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. The episode I was watching, Committed (season 5, episode 21), was about the murder of a patient in a psych ward. In the episode, a suspect was making a pot on a pottery wheel during an altercation with a nurse. The lead detective decided that acoustic archaeology would be able to determine what was said during their fight due to the wheel’s rotation. They used a Doppler laser and an optical transducer in order to get sounds captured while the pot was being made. After processing the noise that they received from the pot, they were able to actually hear what was being said during the altercation.

One of CSI’s lab technicians using acoustic archaeology to solve a crime.

Though it seemed a little far-fetched, like every episode of CSI, and was “busted” by Mythbusters, the episode got me interested in the field of archaeoacoustics. I definitely think that acoustic archaeology is a technique that will be improved upon and will continue to help archaeologists learn more about the past.

References:

Renfrew, Colin, and Paul G. Bahn. Archaeology Essentials: Theories, Methods, and Practice. New York, NY: Thames & Hudson, 2010. 

Till, Rupert. “Sound Archaeology: Terminology, Palaeolithic Cave Art and the Soundscape.” World Archaeology 46.3 (2014): 292-304.

Goldfinger, Sarah, Richard J. Lewis, and Uttam Narsu. “Committed.” CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. CBS. 28 Apr. 2005.

Photo Sources:

“La Pasiega.” Songs of the Caves. <http://songsofthecaves.wordpress.com/>.

Goldfinger, Sarah, Richard J. Lewis, and Uttam Narsu. “Committed.” CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. CBS. 28 Apr. 2005.

Additional  Information:

http://www.salford.ac.uk/computing-science-engineering/research/acoustics/architectural-and-building-acoustics/acoustics-of-stonehenge

http://vodlocker.com/op8e3e4bm9sr (Mythbusters “Killer Cable Snaps”) or http://kwc.org/mythbusters/2006/10/episode_62_killer_cable_snaps.html (Summary of findings on episode)

Punk Archaeology entails the creative use of artifacts and sites to break out of established modes of thought to promote new ways of thinking. Andrew Reinhard, the lead archaeologist in the Atari dig, describes Punk archeology as “the history of places affiliated with Punk music and culture. It also means that as archaeologists, we apply Punk’s do-it-yourself aesthetic to our science. Punk also engages the community and finds ways to work either within or around constraints such as money and time, using those restrictions to our advantage creatively.”There is continuous debate however, over the efficiency of this practice of archeology and why punk archaeology may or may not succeed in challenging established modes of thought.

When looking at the Atari excavations done in New Mexico by a team of punk archaeologists, it is hard not to wonder whether encountering and presenting the buried games as archaeological artifacts had the effect of providing some distance from the familiar and opening these objects up to new forms of critique. While archaeological investigation is in many ways about solving ancient “mysteries” archaeology is, first and foremost, a social science that uses various methodologies, careful accumulation and analysis of data, and scientific method. One of the first cons of the use of Punk archeology is the mass media that it attracts that creates a negative effect on the discoveries made. To clarify, when looking at the Atari dig done in New Mexico, some saw it as merely a publicity stunt and “claim to fame.” Instead of focusing on the actual science being done, such as the exposing of the stratigraphy of the landfill to determine the interplay between domestic trash and dumped Atari products, the project was largely dependent on the overarching story and schedule of the director…not the scientists. The scientists in this project can be viewed as props in “archeology theatre” and just parts of the documentary, not the main focus. This can also cause a lot of what is discovered to be twisted just to be made more appealing to the public. Punk archeology can often lead to forms of pseudoarcheology whereas things such as aliens walking the earth are studied. While some may argue that public attention is good for breaking established thought, putting archeology on a global stage can be detrimental and making it all seem like a big joke.

Punk archaeology can also be seen as a tool that encourages us to approach the familiar in unconventional ways.   It complements conventional archaeology which likewise provides a distance for critically understanding objects from the past, but in most cases these objects are already unfamiliar to the modern viewer. Punk archeology can make these objects understandable and relevant to public viewers. In the example of the Atari dig-up, it gave archeology profile and capital while also offering a look into corporate history. Some of what was dug up in this finding became museum artifacts and part of a life history visible to the public eye. Punk archaeology is not only a source of entertaining websites and goofy TV shows, it can be used in much more powerful way to influence modern ideas about the past and the present. It channels the public into learning a great deal about our more recent past and how modern thinking has informed and is informed by ancient history.