2021-2022 Faculty Research Grant

Paul Ray (Archaeology),

Analysis of Microbiofacts Related to Household Archaeology at Khirbat Safra, Jordan.

Archaeology is a discipline that seeks to explain humans in the past. However, archaeologists are unable to directly observe the behavior of those long dead. Archaeological remains (material culture) consist of traces in the ground. Once they are able to collect accurate information about the traces from the soil matrix, through controlled excavation, archaeologists can begin to answer specific questions by describing the dynamic process of their arrangement (deposition), inferring meaning from this evidence. A unique problem in archaeology is in order to answer such questions, archaeologists have to selectively destroy the matrix (context) in which the traces are found. Hence, each facet of their observations and inferences must be accurately, and honestly described, and recorded in detail. Traditionally, archaeologists have functioned primarily on the macro level, focusing on fortifications (protection), and administrative and religious structures, with potential archives, that might allow the ancients to say something about themselves. What can be said about actual life ways remains more theoretical in this approach. More recently, archaeologists have become interested in household archaeology, which focuses on the micro level, serving to open the door to the social universe of the ancients. While material culture is still important, the focused activities performed in specific places within a building provide a window into aspects of ancient behavior. Household archaeology would seem to provide a more balanced dynamic between empirical data and theory. The focus of our research in a select area at the site of Khirbat Safra, is to see how the micro remains yielded in household archaeology can enhance what can be said about the ancient people at this site.