Sathish-ANTHRO1022-Lab 3

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1022

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Anthropology

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Feb 20, 2024

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ANTH 1022, Fall 2023 Lab 3 – Garbology – Response Template After carefully reviewing the materials from at least 4 different households in London Ontario, answer the questions provided below and upload your worksheet to the Assignments tab in OWL. We suggest examining the materials from more than 4 households, if time allows, to give you a better sense of the variability between households, and to allow you to base your response on those households you find most interesting. Remember to upload this template as a Word document ( do not submit as Pages or PDF ). Please respect the word limits for each question. We will stop reading after the word limit, so extra words will not count towards your mark. Learning to write clearly and concisely is an important skill. Be sure to prioritize the most important information in your response. Question 1  Select 4 of the 8 households and delete the other four from the box below.  What do the items from each of these four residences suggest about the people who live there? Think in terms of the following characteristics: age, gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status, dietary choices, how many people live in the house, and anything else you think is relevant.  How does the evidence support these interpretations? Provide specific examples of how certain items support particular interpretations. Also indicate if there are things from the list of characteristics above that the available evidence does not allow you to interpret. Note: 150 word limit = range 135-165 words ( limit is for all 4 households , not each household) Household 1 appears to be an upper-class white or maybe even a Canadian family of 3-4 members. The vast amount of garbage shows that they can sustain a family and as a result have a good financial standing. They prioritize health (vitamin supplements, gluten-free items) and have a diverse, balanced diet. Household 4 seems to be a South Asian middle-class family of 3-4, including school-age children, based on school snacks like bear paws and fruit roll-ups. Their dietary choices encompass South Asian foods and a mix of prepackaged and fresh items, revealing their ethnic background and budget- consciousness. Household 7 could be a middle-class Mexican family with 4 or more members, including a baby and school-going kids. The presence of non-branded and branded food items indicates a mix of budget- consciousness, while items like baby wipes, milk, and school snacks signify family composition and lifestyle. Household 8 may consist of 2-3 college students, aged 18-21. Their diet comprises predominantly cheap, pre-packaged, and unhealthy food items, reflecting limited financial resources and a focus on convenience over nutrition. The word count of my response is: 169 Question 2  What are some of the challenges when making such interpretations?  What assumptions did you have to make in formulating your interpretations above? 1

ANTH 1022, Fall 2023 Note: 100 word limit = range 90-110 words. Interpreting these households based purely on garbage is challenging due to the necessity of making assumptions. Assumptions about factors like dietary preferences, socio-economic status, and family demographics are often necessary, but they can be unreliable as individual choices and circumstances vary widely. Moreover, the presence of diverse items in a household can lead to misjudgments, potentially resulting in inaccurate conclusions. For instance, associating specific foods with ethnicity or socio-economic status may not always be accurate. Determining the exact number of household members, their ages, and genders from the available evidence can also be challenging. The word count of my response is: 94 Question 3  What other kinds of material evidence (besides garbage) could you use to evaluate (provide additional support for or contradict) the interpretations you made based on the garbage presented in the PDF file? Note: 100 word limit = range 90-110 words. To enhance the accuracy of interpretations made based on garbage, additional material evidence beyond garbage can provide valuable insights. Personal documents such as bills, letters, or school records can reveal more about the household's demographic and activities. Photographs and personal items like clothing can offer glimpses into their ages, genders, and lifestyles. Examining the contents of the refrigerator and pantry can provide further details about dietary preferences. The presence of cultural artifacts, religious items, or language-specific books can corroborate or challenge assumptions about ethnicity. Financial records and receipts can offer clues about socio-economic status. Combining these material sources with the evidence from garbage provides a more comprehensive understanding of the residents and their lifestyles. The word count of my response is: 114 Question 4 Now put yourself in the shoes of archaeologists 2000 years in the future.  How would material bias affect the garbage items from each of the four households you selected ? Be specific about how particular kinds of objects would be impacted.  In the absence of other kinds of evidence, how would these changes impact your interpretations? Note: 150 word limit = range 135-165 words. Looking through the lens of archaeologists 2000 years in the future, material bias would significantly impact the preservation and interpretation of garbage items from the selected households. In Household 1, for instance, vitamin supplements and perishable food items may have decomposed or deteriorated over time, potentially obscuring insights into the residents' health and dietary preferences. In Household 4, school snacks like bear paws and fruit roll-ups might have left minimal traces, erasing clues about the presence of school-aged children. Household 7's organic materials, including milk and food items, could have decayed, complicating our ability to confirm their dietary habits. Household 8's pre-packaged junk food items might endure, but the lack of contextual information would make it challenging to understand the demographics and lifestyles of the college students residing there. In the absence of other kinds of evidence, these changes due to material bias would seriously hamper our interpretations. We would have to rely solely on the surviving remnants, which may not provide a comprehensive picture of the households' characteristics. 2

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