Topic > 21st Century Artifacts, Features, and Ecofacts

There are three main components in archaeological excavations: these are artifacts, features, and ecofacts. These three components are crucial in describing the results of the work of anthropologists, especially those who decide to go into the field to collect first-hand information that has never been documented in previous documents or archives. Artifacts, by description, refer to objects made and used by people in a specific historical period. Features, on the other hand, can be described as non-portable artifacts; these can include things like patches of soil indicating storage pits, waste dumps, or structures along fences that once existed. Ecofacts are natural remains – such as plant and animal remains – that can help understand the diet and subsistence pattern of a given period (Greene, & Moore, 2010). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay However, when future anthropologists decide to carry out archaeological excavations in the field, it is certain that they will come across our various artifacts, features, and ecofacts. For example, when dealing with artifacts that have previously been described as objects made and used by people in a given period, future anthropologists studying the 21st century will encounter forms of technological devices with complex internals. This will imply to future anthropologists that this generation was characterized by a high degree of civilization and that they might have been highly educated to the extent that they were capable of making such elaborate technological devices (Pearsall, 2008). It can therefore be concluded that people during this time period in question were/are literate. On the other hand, when dealing with features, which are non-portable artifacts, as highlighted above, archaeologists in the excavation process might come across structures such as mysterious wooden poles with threads joining them at intervals. The interconnection between the poles via a wire is an indicator that something may have passed through it. The conclusion reached in such a scenario is that the wooden poles, along with the wires, were used for communication purposes between people and that radio waves passed through them. In addition to this, poles were used to hold electrical energy, transferring it from one place or building to another. Such evidence of poles with strings will therefore indicate that people of the 21st century had scientific abilities and that communication was important to them. Please note: this is just a sample. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Last but not least, let's look at the last archaeological element: ecofacts. Ecofacts represent remains of plants and animals. Archaeologists of the future. during their excavations, they will find some animal feces, indicating the existence of other life forms besides humans (White, 2008). For example, when archaeologists come across bird feces, such as Blue Jay or North Cardinal, the inference, in this case, will be that birds were common during this time period of the subject. In addition to animal remains, archaeologists will also likely come across flower seeds, such as pansy seeds. This will indicate that such flowers were common around buildings during this period under study. Works Cited Greene, K., & Moore, T. (2010). Archeology. Hoboken: Taylor & Francis. Pearsall, D. M. (2008). Encyclopedia of archaeology. San Diego, CA: Elsevier/Academic Press.White, NM (2008). Archeology for dummies. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.