ANT210H5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Empiricism, Big Bang, Uniformitarianism
Document Summary
How science works (as a way of knowing) An example from japanese archaeology (the ainu) If time: how it can go wrong: begin to look at the anatomy of archaeology gone wrong (fujimura scandal in japan) Is a proposal that we try to falsify. There"s a real and knowable universe (not myth or oral tradition) The universe operates according to certain rules or laws (tricky in anthropology and archaeology but it works) The rules or laws are the same whenever or wherever you are: e. g, uniformitarianism (was the ancient past a time of magic, aliens, powers beyond comprehension, things that baffle scientists?) A tentative assumption made in order to draw out and test its logical empirical consequences. A plausible or scientifically acceptable general principle or body or principles offered to explain phenomena. By testing (not proving) and examining implications. How do we explain ainu origins? (native people of northern japan)
