Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

PerformanceNow t1_j9mfejt wrote

I highly doubt the first fossil finders in North America were slaves who came on in 1492 at the earliest. The Native Americans were here for thousands of years before Columbus, and so were the Vikings. It's more likely to believe they were the first to discover fossils.

But, yes, the article points out a much needed aspect of American history that the first archaeologists working for westerners were enslaved.

166

panckage t1_j9mstrr wrote

Fossils should preserve well though, right? Ivd be really really surprised if no fossils have been found in native archeological sites... I mean if you find a cool trilobite fossil or something... It would make a nice decoration...

15

The_Cysko_Kid t1_j9ofx8s wrote

I've picked up a rock and found that it had fossilized material in it. Does that mean im an archaeologist? If so I think I deserve a raise.

12

JH76 t1_j9osahc wrote

Archeologists don’t study fossils though.

7

PerformanceNow t1_j9p3nbo wrote

What do you mean? Isn't it part of the skillset to be an archaeologist? I know certain anthropologists specialize in it. But I had always thought archaeologists also had a cursory knowledge of the subject. Maybe I'm wrong.

2

JH76 t1_j9p5xip wrote

Fossils are studied by Paleontologists. The vast majority of times, fossilization takes at least 10,000 years so archeologist, who themselves specialize in studying remains of human activity, tend not to look for or study fossils.

13

PerformanceNow t1_j9pipge wrote

Hmm. I thought paleontologists were simply interested in animal fossils, not human fossils.

You learn something new everyday.

0