Archaeology reconstructs human life in the past through artifacts and ruins. It studies ancient lifestyles from a variety of perspectives, including evolutionary and sociocultural interpretations.
Archaeologists use this data to reconstruct the lives of people in the past by applying theories from various fields. Archaeological research is essential for understanding human evolution and cultural development, and it is also a way to find connections to modern society.
For example, evolutionary archaeology explains the past by focusing on the theory of evolution, which sees human life as a choice to better adapt to the natural environment. Let’s take a closer look at the application of evolutionary theory by studying changes in pottery. In this study, researchers examined the thickness of cooking pots excavated from a single region over a period of about 1,000 years beginning in the first century AD, and the starch content of the grains used in the food that remained charred in the pots. The results showed that the thickness of the pots became significantly thinner over time, and the starch content of the grains increased. “This is because they adapted to changes in the external environment, such as the appearance of seeds with more starch,” explains Jinwha Archaeology. This explanation is based on the fact that thin-walled pottery is functionally superior because it transfers heat better, and the fact that seeds with more starch have a much higher food value when boiled at high temperatures for a long time. In other words, the change in the natural environment led to an increase in the number of seeds with thick shells and high starch content, which in turn increased the amount of seeds collected. Since these seeds had to be heated for a long time due to their characteristics, it is interpreted that pottery with fast heat conduction was used.
Archaeological research also focuses on understanding not only the physical characteristics of an artifact, but also the social context in which it was used. For example, the reason why a certain type of pottery was widely used at a certain time may be closely related to social and cultural changes at the time, not just functional reasons. Archaeologists try to understand the functional and social significance of artifacts in a comprehensive way through this perspective.
However, later, more detailed chronometric dating showed that the changes in pottery thickness were not gradual, but occurred suddenly around the 4th century B.C., and that there was almost no change after that. It was also found that the consumption of starchy foods became common after the 5th century. This weakened the natural selection explanation for the change in pottery thickness.
On the other hand, to understand the significance of the use of thin-walled pottery, it is important to find the cause of the change in pottery thickness, but it is also necessary to pay attention to the reason why pottery became thinner over a long period of time. For example, if high starch grains were used as baby food, it could be argued that this would have helped to increase the birth rate by shortening the lactation period of women. From this perspective, it is possible to explain the long-term use of thin-walled pottery based on an ecological theory that finds the reason for it in the active choice of humans to make baby food, rather than in the choice to adapt well to the natural environment. The ecological explanation is based on an evolutionary perspective, but it focuses more on the process of choice based on human rational thought.
In contrast to evolutionary archaeology, when interpreting the meaning of artifacts, it is more important to find the context in which each artifact was used than the functional factors, and there is also a perspective that tries to explain the meaning of artifacts by socio-cultural factors, such as the social position of the person who used the artifact and changes in preferences. From this perspective, the reason for the rapid thinning of pottery around the 4th century is explained as follows: New pottery was introduced due to active exchange between groups, and people came to prefer it. Such socio-cultural interpretations broaden the scope of archaeological research and provide important clues for understanding the social and cultural trends of the time, not limited to the functional aspects of artifacts.
Thus, in archaeology, data on artifacts are rapidly accumulated through excavations, and different interpretations are presented as new measurement methods are developed thanks to the development of related sciences. Therefore, rather than clinging to a particular theory, it is necessary to have an open attitude to actively use new data and methods to make different interpretations. Archaeological research is a constantly evolving discipline through which we can better understand the past and learn lessons for the present and the future.
