[OR_Archaeology] Ideas

[Leland Gilsen]

Anyone ever run into anthro students with strong computer skills?
Possible thesis or dissertation projects?

FYI: I once envisioned a computer simulation of an existing culture (the
 Tiv of Nigeria as ethnography described the data in the 60's)  
containing lots of feedback loops and variables
that could be used as
 a classroom aid in cultural anthropology, but it never went very far. 
The idea was to have each student pick a person and watch their "life 
history" and describe their culture (using anthropological techniques) 
as the simulation ran. Since there would be many points of divergence, 
each student would get a unique outcome... the POINT of the exercise. 
A
 minority of the selected individuals would have a long and successful 
life, some would die in childhood, some would never marry and enter into
 a successful "firm", etc.

Ethnography is a statistical model... 
and the program would point this out dramatically.  In addition, the 
students would be able to make suggestions for adding programming to
increase the modeling experience. An idea worth someone exploring?

Second
 FYI: I also played with making an archaeological sampling program, 
using several stacked sites that had been 100% excavated... where 
overlaying site activities mixed or destroyed underlying data and 
earlier and less evident sites may be missed. This as a teaching aid in 
understanding the limits of excavation sampling and its effect on 
interpretation of extinct social systems. It never went beyond 
concepts.  An idea worth having someone explore?

Dr. Leland Gilsen

www.oregon-archaeology.com

www.echoes-in-time.com



"My glass is neither half full nor half empty because it has a head of quantum foam." (2009 Leland Gilsen)



"My glass is empty, could I have another please?" (2010 Dale Coleman)



"All the best ideas are at the bottom of a beer can." (Jim Riggs)

My motto: "Theory comes and goes, but data are forever. "
                     "However data without information are sterile"

If stuck with circular reasoning, measure the circumference 
 		 	   		  
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