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 Explorations
Test Your Skills
We are about to go to an archaeological site in Cape Espenburg, on Alaska's Bering Land Bridge. There are several important things you see at this site. You will learn by observing, and also by making inferences about those observations.

Archaeology is such an interesting field because it combines many disciplines. Archaeologists must know social studies in order to understand the cultures they investigate, and they also must know scientific methods in order to accurately evaluate objects they may find. Sometimes it is tempting to assume certain things about a culture because of our own experiences, but a good archaeologist is aware of the differences between observations and inferences.

cross-section of house

Directions: Look at the drawing above. Select "I" before the statements that are inferences, and an "O" before the statements that are observations.
IO Question:
1.There are 2 people in the house.
2.It is warm in the house.
3.There is a fur coat hanging in the house.
4.These people are hunters.
5.This house is built under the ground.
6.One of the people is leaning over with his arms extended.
7.The weather is cold.
8.One of the people is dancing.
9.One of the people holds a round object in her hand.
10.The people live near an ocean.
11.The people hunt large fur-bearing mammals.
12.The house is supported with the rib bones of a large animal.
13.The entrance to the house is lower than the rest of the house.
14.There is not a lot of wood in the area where this house was built.

Searching for the Past
introduction | test your skills

arctic home | travel guide | ticket holder | teacher notes
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