Week 2 science vs pseudoscience

How does archaeology differ from pseudo-archaeology?

science and pseudo-science

ANT 102, August 29th

Today’s topic:

Science is a method

Archaeology is Scientific, Pseudo-archaeology is not

--for bringing our ideas about the worldmore closely in line with how the actual world is.

--used to answer questions or solving problems

Science is a method

1. Ask a question ordefine a problem

2. Create a hypothesis asan answer to the problem

Why was the causeway betweenUci and Cansahcab built?

To improve commerce andtransportation in the region

3. State testable expectationsfor the hypothesis

Archaeology is Scientific, Pseudo-archaeology is not

--for bringing our ideas about the worldmore closely in line with how the actual world is.

--used to answer questions or solving problems

2. Create a hypothesis asan answer to the problem

Why was the causeway betweenUce and Cansahcab built?

To improve commerce andtransportation in the region

3. State testable expectationsfor the hypothesis

If it was built for commercepeople living next to it should get rich

4. Gather data to see if thetest expectations are met

Excavate a village next to thecauseway, assess standard of living

5. Evaluate the hypothesis

6. Repeat steps 2 to 5, usinga new hypothesis

Archaeology is Scientific, Pseudo-archaeology is not

Low standard of living (very few pots),

hypothesis wrong

Science is a method

MULTIPLE HYPOTHESES

--used to answer questions or solving problems

--for bringing our ideas about the worldmore closely in line with how the actual world is.

1. Ask a question ordefine a problem

What can we do to evaluate the trustworthiness of information?

Think critically about the source of information

Barry Fell,Harvard

marine biologist

What can we do to evaluate the trustworthiness of information?

Think critically about the source of information

Plane

Is it repeatable? Can you check the information yourself?

Khufu

Khafre

Menkaure

Graham Hancock

Were the pyramids builtas a map of the stars?

Were the pyramids builtas a map of the stars?

“You almost never find all or only what you expect. As often as not, the process of inquiryforces you to rethink your questions, to envision possibilities that are very different fromany of the prospective answer you might have entertained at the outset. As enigmatic andfragmentary as it is, the archaeological record has infinite capacity to surprise, to subverteven our most confident presuppositions about what must have been the case and why.”

--Alyson Wylie

Science is self-correcting

--Because there are other people out there who can check what you are doing

--Because the data—the archaeolgical record—can prove you wrong

So, archaeologists must be humble, must be ready to admit being wrong

Calakmul

CobaCaracol

Ek Balam

Maya cities that werelargely abandoned inthe 9th cnetury AD.

Were the pyramids built as a map of the stars, 1200 years ago?

Were the pyramids built as tombs for rulers, 4500 years ago?

OR

sarcophagus (plural sarcophagi)

Cross section ofinterior of Khufupyramid)

Text inside the pyramid that says “this is Khufu’s pyramid.”

KhufuKhafreMenkaure

Mastaba

Stepped pyramid

Saqqara Meidum Bent (at Dashur) Red (at Dashur) Khufu (at Giza) Khare (at Giza)

2611 B.C. 2472 B.C.

Saqqara Meidum Bent (at Dashur) Red (at Dashur) Khufu (at Giza) Khafre (at Giza)

2611 B.C. 2472 B.C.

Saqqara Meidum Bent (at Dashur) Red (at Dashur) Khufu (at Giza) Khafre (at Giza)

2611 B.C. 2472 B.C.

Saqqara Meidum Bent (at Dashur) Red (at Dashur) Khufu (at Giza) Khafre (at Giza)

2611 B.C. 2472 B.C.

Saqqara Meidum Bent (at Dashur) Red (at Dashur) Khafre (at Giza) Khufu (at Giza)

2611 B.C. 2472 B.C.

Saqqara Meidum Bent (at Dashur) Red (at Dashur) Khufu (at Giza) Khafre (at Giza)

Luxor, Las Vegas,1993

Memphis, Tennessee1991

Saqqara Meidum Bent (at Dashur) Red (at Dashur) Khafre (at Giza) Khufu (at Giza)

2611 B.C. 2472 B.C.

Saqqara Meidum Bent (at Dashur) Red (at Dashur) Khufu (at Giza) Khafre (at Giza)

Robert Schoch

Coastal Peru

England

Mexico

Illinois

Science

--is a method--is self correcting--uses full context of evidence--tests hypotheses with new data--tests are repeatable, verifiable--is objective: uses information from the world--critical about the source of information--scientists are flexible, they change ideas when wrong

Pseudo-science

--is a set of beliefs disguised as science--no self-correction, just repetition of beliefs--ignores context of evidence--no testing, no data gathering--ignores most evidence--uses out of date information--relies on mistaken ideas--pseudo scientists are inflexible