1)Dating: This assignment relates to the concept that all things change over time. Select an object category, such as, skirts, cars, glasses etc. Examine how the category object has changed in a limited time horizon.  Focus on the micro-changes.  Look at changes in materials, or changes in form, or thickness etc. over relatively short periods of time. Do not discussPlot and describe when those changes occured, how can they be followed, what do they tell us about the forces influencing those changes.  These objects may be totally familiar to you.  Nevertheless, I also want you to refer to reference materials (for example a book discussing changes in spectacles from 1899-1920).  The object categories you select is entirely up to you.  The assignment should be 3 pages typed.  Illustrations and/or tables are not part of the page count.

2)Making Sense of Garbage: This assignment looks at contemporary material culture.  Archaeology proceeds from the assumption that material culture and its spatial relationships can tell us much about the people who produced it.  Therefore, we are going to look at garbages assemblages and try to ascertain what sort of activities produced it and what it tells us about the people who did.  You will select a garbage assembly point and collect the materials. You will categorize the artifact assemblages and interpret the activities, numbers of people, ages, genders, etc. based on those assemblages.  Very small assemblages will not give you an adequate base for analysis. You are responsible for an adequate sample.  Please categorize the artifacts, and organize them as if you were examining a single level in a seriation diagram.  Three to four written pages are expected.  Diagrams, charts, tables, etc. are not included in the 3-4 pages.