Origins

Origins of Archaeology

I was trying to sleep, but the constant 'scritch scritch scritch' was making it difficult. I had taken up a reclining position under a rocky outcrop while escaping the midday sun, and was struggling to get my nap. I had been gathering some new seeds to plant for the tribe. As one of those who grow food from the ground, I don't usually have to gather anymore, but from time to time I need to look for new things to plant.

"Do you mind?" I asked irritably. "Some of us have been working and need a break!"I used the term 'someone' rather loosely. I wasn't referring to myself necessarily, but I was sure that someone was, indeed, trying to rest after working.

The One Who Digs For The Past either ignored me, didn't hear me, or was so engrossed in his labours that my words had no more impact than the warm breeze upon his ears. He had been carefully removing the dust and dirt from a small area near the edge of the overhanging rock. With a stiff feather in one hand, and a clam shell in the other, he leaned forward and brushed the accumulated detritus away to expose several pieces of charred wood.

"I knew it! The remains of a cooking fire! We can only theorize who may have once made their meal here. Look at this! The remains of a goat or sheep!"

"If you look carefully, you just might find something special, like the sharp stick that I cooked that on. That's our fire from three moons ago. All of the places you dig are the places our tribe has used. Why do you bother?" I asked.

"My boy! This is an opportunity to learn about past cultures through the study of the things they left behind, like carvings, art, bones from their food, or even their own remains!" he bristled.

"But you already know all this stuff. It's our stuff! That broken shell over there is the one you snapped in two when you were digging up the auroch bone from last week's feast. You ate some of it yourself, then dug up the bones and acted like it was a great discovery."

"That's not the point!" he said, a note of exasperation in his voice. "I am laying the foundations for generations to come! Someone will dig up our bones one day, and they will be amazed!"

"But you're digging up our garbage! You're pulling up all the stuff we have no use for anymore. Broken sharp sticks, leftover flakes from making spear points, bones that we've chewed all the meat off. Even the animal skins that are thrown out because they are full of holes. Who's going to want to see that stuff? Why don't you dig up the things from someone else? Do you remember the cave that we never sleep in because of the snakes? Maybe there are some things in there to dig? Why not the cave where the bear sometimes sleeps? It might not be there right now. You should check!" I suggested, helpfully.

He cast a stare at me that would stop a wooly rhino in its tracks. "You aren't being helpful, you're mocking me." He gathered up his tools and rolled them in the piece of animal skin that he had brought for just this purpose. "But you do have a point. I should be digging for older things. I burned my hand excavating another fire site because the embers were still hot."

As he began to walk away, I rose and followed. I felt bad for the way I had treated him.

"I know a cave that our tribe has never used for sleeping. It's too hard for the bear to get to, and the snakes don't use it. I can show you." I said.

I led the way, taking him to the base of the sheer rock wall. I pointed to the places where he should put his feet, and we climbed to the cave. It wasn't easy to see from the ground, and I had found it quite by accident. I used it as a place to get away from the tribe and my responsibilities. No one else knew about it, and I kept a small white rabbit skin bundle of belongings very well hidden there for when I visited. It was a good spot, and completely private. The One Who Digs For The Past was sworn to secrecy.

We entered, and he made oooh and aaaah sounds, much like we all did before we had words.

"This is perfect!" he shouted. He grabbed both of my shoulders and looked me in the eyes. "Thank you!"

After ensuring that he could find his way back to the village (this was new word for the place where we built our shelters) I climbed down the slope and headed home.

It had been two sleeps before the One Who Digs For The Past returned. He was beaming with pride and excitement. He called for a meeting of the ones who sit by the fire and talk. Surprisingly the most of the tribe gathered around the fire, and he began:

"I have made many great finds! Of course the location is a secret, but I will share the items that I dug up."

He unrolled a familiar white rabbit skin bundle and began pulling out the items within. I shrank back from the fire, working my way to the outside of the gathered tribes people.

"This appears to be a rock with a drawing of a female. It must be from before the time that we wore animal skins, as she is without clothing. There are a few of these rocks, with different females on them. I think they must have been important figures in the tribe of the owner of the rocks. And this! This is incredible! We have recently started making things out of the mud from the river, but this statue was in the cave from long ago!"

He held up a curvaceous, full bodied female figure, complete with a head of curly hair, and was without facial details... or animal skins.

"She must have been worshipped by the ancient tribe that left her in the cave. Again, see that she has no coverings of any kind! And she shows many signs of being handled, probably during acts of worship by their tribe. Surprisingly, there was also some dried meat and nuts in the bundle too. It was as fresh as if we just made it! The cave contained no other remnants of the old ones that dwelled there."

Okay, I know what you're thinking, but they were art!