ANTH 1032, Fall 2023

Assignment 2: Garbology

Learning Objectives
 To make logical inferences based on material evidence (i.e., to make archaeological inferences
about modern human groups based on the garbage they have left behind)
 To express evidence-based reasoning clearly and succinctly in writing
 To identify underlying assumptions inherent in interpretations about the past based on
material evidence

Overview
You are an archaeologist studying assemblages of garbage recovered from households in Thunder
Bay. Your goal is to determine who occupied these households, based on the garbage you collected
(see associated pdf file). You collected all of the garbage on the same day, from separate households’
trash or recycling bins. Now you must make inferences about the people living in 3 of these
households, and explain the assumptions that underlie your interpretations.

Format and Submission

 Fill out this form using the spaces (boxes) provided below,
 Do not delete the instructions in this file!
o You may remove the highlighting once those sections are completed, if you wish.
 Save your completed document as a Word or PDF file.
o Do not convert to Pages or any other format.
o Deductions for incorrect file types will apply, because we can’t view other file formats
in D2L.
 Upload your completed document (Word or PDF) to the Assignments folder on the course
website.

Rubric: See the course website (Assignments folder) for the detailed rubric. Note that in addition to
the grades for the sections indicated above, the quality of writing will also be graded. (See online
rubric for more details.)

The following deductions will apply:

-1 point (per section) for going over word count (i.e., max 2 point deduction)
-1 for not using complete sentences
-1 point for a submission in a file format other than Word or PDF, or a Word or PDF that is not the
required form
- 5% (1 mark) per day late. One-hour grace period after due date/time, after which the assignment
will be considered a day late. Submissions >7 days late will not be accepted without special
permission from the instructor, as per policy listed on course outline.

1
ANTH 1032, Fall 2023

Fill in your name here:

Section 1 [12 points]: Evidential reasoning

 Select 3 of the 6 households and delete the other 3 from the box below.
 For each of the 3 households that you selected in the box below, state characteristics of who
you think lived there.
o Consider the probable age, gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status, number of
occupants, and any other aspects of identity that might be reasonably inferred based
on the garbage.
o Do not try to address all the above factors for every household! Only make
interpretations that can be reasonably backed up by the material evidence.
 Justify your interpretations using explicit reasoning and evidence. In other words, which
specific item(s) of garbage support each of your specific interpretations about the occupants’
identity, and why?
 You must use complete sentences. Marks will be deducted for point-form answers.

Note: Strict 175 word limit (total for all 3 selected households, not for each household)
Household 1:

Household 2:

Household 3:

Household 4:

Household 5:

Household 6:

The word count of my response is:

2
ANTH 1032, Fall 2023

Section 2 [4 points]: Assumptions that underlie interpretations

To make inferences based on material evidence, we have to use ‘bridging arguments’ that include
assumptions. It is crucial to be clear about these assumptions, so they can be scrutinized and
potentially revised in the future.
 What are two general assumptions that underlaid your interpretations? For each general
assumption, provide specific examples from the household(s) you chose.

Note: Strict 150 word limit

[Fill in your answer here and then delete this text]

The word count of my response is: