Investigating Form and Function
How do we know about the past?
Background Knowledge
Learn from a real archaeologist about what methods we use to learn about the past. Field Museum Anthropology curator Gary Feinman shares information about his field work and research, and why he is interested in studying the past through survey and excavation archaeology.
Questions to consider as you watch:
- What are the three types of evidence that Gary Feinman mentions that we can use to study people in the past?
- Why might there be gaps in these types of evidence?
This resource kit contains many objects and cultural materials that provide clues about how past people lived.
How did we find these objects? Where did they come from? And what do we need to consider when we use them to learn about the past?