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  • Essay / 21st Century Artifacts, Features, and Ecofacts

    In archaeological excavations, there are three main elements: artifacts, features, and ecofacts. These three components are essential for 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 during a given historical period. Features, on the other hand, can be described as non-portable artifacts; these may include features such as soil stains that indicate storage pits, 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 livelihood of a given period (Greene and Moore, 2010). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get the original essay However, when future anthropologists decide to conduct archaeological field excavations, they are sure to stumble upon our various artifacts , characteristics, and ecofacts. For example, when dealing with artifacts previously described as objects made and used by people over a period of time, future anthropologists studying the 21st century will encounter forms of technological devices with complex interiors. This will imply to future anthropologists that this generation was characterized by a high degree of civilization and that they may have been highly educated to the extent that they were capable of making such elaborate technological devices (Pearsall, 2008). We can therefore conclude that people of this period were/are literate. On the other hand, when it comes to items that are non-portable artifacts as highlighted above, archaeologists during their excavations might come across structures like mysterious wooden poles with wires connecting them at regular intervals. The interconnection between the poles by 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 cables, were used for communication purposes between people and the radio waves passed through them. Apart from this, poles were used to contain electrical energy, transferring it from one place or building to another. Such evidence of the poles with the wires will therefore indicate that people in the 21st century had scientific abilities and that communication was important to them. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom EssayFinally, let's look at the last archaeological element: ecofacts. Ecofacts represent plant and animal remains. Archaeologists of the future. during their excavations, they will find animal droppings, indicating the existence of life forms other than humans (White, 2008). For example, when archaeologists discover bird droppings, such as the blue jay or the northern cardinal, they will infer, in this case, that the birds were common during that time period. Besides animal remains, archaeologists will likely also find flower seeds, such as pansy seeds. This will indicate that such flowers were common around buildings during this period. Works Cited Greene, K. and Moore, T. (2010). Archeology. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis. Pearsall, D. M. (2008)..