Archaeology is sometimes referred to as "fossilized human behavior" that is a living record of past life preserved through time through artifacts-or the lack of knowledge of these artifacts. This is when the archaeologist starts to employ a type of archaeology called Ethonoarchaeology, "the theoretical use of analogies derived from present observations to aid in interpretation of past events and processes." (Kramer P. 174). In using this method the archaeologist uses the application of deductive arguments to archaeological evidence in order to discover how human beings in different prehistoric societies may have behaved in the past. The idea of ethnoarchaeology can be a very helpful and intriguing tool to the archaeologist when there is a lack of archaeological evidence to support an idea or theory.
The best way of explaining past events and practices of peoples is through solid archaeological research and facts that come from the artifacts recovered from a site. But, when there is a question as to what a tool was used for or why certain buildings are positioned in such a way, Ethnoarchaeology can be a great aid. It works with the known facts and helps create ideas and hypothesis about the problem or question being asked. Ethnoarchaeological research can be most profitable when used in an area where cultural continuity is great, for example in Latin America, where traditions and customs may survive for generations. When considering modern day rituals and customs of a culture, it is important to remember that they are only modern day rituals and customs and should only be regarded as a hypothesis on how an ancient custom was performed and must be tested before being accepted as an explanation for the custom in question. This is important because it doesn’t matter where an interpretive hypotheses comes from , but rather how it stands up to, and fits the archaeological record.
Every archaeologist knows that there are limitations in the recovery of historic data and artifacts posed by the decay of archaeological material and deposits, sampling errors, seriation errors, and plain human procedure error. All these problems can affect behavioral interpretations of past events. Archaeologists attempt to understand past human behavior and to constantly find better ways to do this. So, as archaeologists develop different ways to overcome limitations posed by traditional means the method of ethnoarchaeology steps up to the challenge as a legitimate aid in the science of archaeology.
Kramer, Carol. Ethnoarchaeology, Implications of Ethnography in Archaeology. Columbia University Press/New York. 1979.
Could, Richard. Recovering the Past. University of Mexico Press: Albuquerque. 1990.
Tooker, Elisabeth. Ethnography by Archaeologists. The American Ethnological Society, 1982.
Could, Richard. Living Archaeology. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge. 1980.
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