Kaitlyn Tull

Archaeology 2030 (T, Th, 1-2:20)

Alan Griffiths

10/29/18

Critical Thinking 4

In my research paper, I had expressed that one of my main hypotheses was that Olduvai

Gorge was a burial ground of some kind. What led me to believe this, were the discoveries of

many different bone fragments and tissue samples that occurred over the years. Most burial

grounds are systematic however, and usually the grounds have a burial pattern that is usually

followed to, a sometimes, rather extreme degree; and like with any good hypothesis, it needs to

be able to be proven false just as much as it can be proven true. Going back through my research,

I haven’t been able to find any serious evidence that disproves or even proves my theory that this

is indeed a burial ground. However, along with the burial ground hypothesis I devised another

hypothesis which has been neither proved nor disproved. I stated that Olduvai Gorge could have

been some kind of village, and what led me to this assumption was that some tools, among with

other various paraphernalia was discovered along with the tissue samples and bone fragments.

But as we learned in class, individuals who had attained either recognition or a higher status in

their lives, were often buried with some kind of goods. This leads me back to my original

hypothesis that Olduvai Gorge was a burial ground. As for giving myself a score for this

assignment, I feel I deserve a 4. I feel I laid out all of my information in such a way that it

supports my hypotheses, and yet also leaves them open for interpretation as well.