By Mira Heckman…I have always had an interest in learning about the past, but couldn’t shy away from my interest in the sciences. When I first got to Umass I was dead set on going into a purely scientific field. Shortly after I realized that I wasn’t as passionate about the subject as i’d thought. I couldn’t see it as something that I would want to do for the rest of my life. I’m needed to think of a way to incorporate both science and my interest in the past. I knew that I wanted to do something within the field of archaeology. However, archeology in most cases doesn’t involve a purely scientific approach. When I realized that Umass had a geology program I became interested in learning more. Geology incorporates different aspects of earth sciences as well as geographic elements. At first, I wasn’t sure exactly how this could be combined with archeology, because I lacked the knowledge of exactly how the archeological field worked.
Coming to Tel Akko has made me realize the different ways in which Geoarchaeology can be applied to the practice of archaeology. Before coming here I was not completely aware of the different technical methods that are used in archaeology, as well as how these can be applied to geologic research questions on the tel. It was interesting to see the different ways in which archeology is performed in on the tel, both in survey and excavation. It was encouraging to see the software that can be used in mapping the tel, such as GIS and AgiSoft which can also be applied to geologic mapping and archaeology.
By studying ancient remnants and civilisations, we can gain a better understanding of the past. I am currently double majoring in Geology and Geoarchaeology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. By doing so, I can join my knowledge of the ancient world with scientific reasoning. My main interest is looking at climatic changes in landscapes over time and how this has affected past civilizations, as well as the adaptations that have been made. By combining the research techniques of Geology with the historic side of Archaeology, I want to gain an extensive understanding of archaeological research methods in order to enhance my knowledge of the more technical side of Archaeology. Applying a scientific approach to what I know about the past will allow me to expand my comprehension of ancient civilizations.
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