Archaeological Interpretation Workshop 1, Activity 2

Activity Outline

This activity focuses on a more concrete archaeological dataset and the processes involved in interpreting it. The exercise uses, as its basis, four burials from the same site. These burials display a number of variations in the way the deceased is treated, including placement, grave goods and grave type. The result of this activity will show the diversity of interpretations that arise through analysis of the same archaeological date set.

Duration: c. 20 minutes Participant Instructions

Participants will be divided into groups of c.5 persons and handed large, high-resolution printouts of the four burials (see below). Here are four different burials from the second millennium BCE/Kassite period site of Khani Masi. Please take a careful look at the images and consider the following questions:

• How do these burials differ from each other? • How are they similar? • What can the differences and similarities among these burials tell us about the people

at the site?

Following a 10 minute small-group discussion, each group will present their interpretations to the wider group. Large-group discussion: how is it possible that you came up with such different stories about the people buried at Khani Masi?

Archaeological Interpretation Workshop 1, Activity 2

Archaeological Interpretation Workshop 1, Activity 2

Archaeological Interpretation Workshop 1, Activity 2

Archaeological Interpretation Workshop 1, Activity 2