Small Things Forgotten Summary

In chapter one, In Small Things Forgotten: An Archaeology of Early American Life, Deetz talked about the early lives of how the first people lived in America during the 18th and 19th centuries. Evidence is shown through many material items that early Americans had engaged with each other, similar to the way that humans interact with each other in today’s society. Material items may include pots, dishes, cooking ware, artwork, and even gravestones, which this information is used to understand more about the past. Even the smallest material items may be huge resources for archaeologists. “Archaeology is the study of the past people based on the things they left behind and the ways they left their imprint on the world” (Deetz, 1996: np). A way of creating a certain item can be pass down from generation to generation, and can
“There is no question that this function continues to be important. But archaeologists need not to be content with providing details or ‘facts’ that documentary historians may or may not find useful” (Little: 1994, pg 43). However, the lack of records may benefit archaeologists, because they do not need details. In 1982, a new era began for archaeologists. “Historical archaeology has gone through its own periods of growth and change, it has been no less affected by the turmoil of the 1980s and early 1990s than has prehistory” (Little: 1994, pg 49). The new era was the beginning of critical self-examination. Later on, in 1987, there was a need for more conscious attention to methods and the need for connecting method and theory. Lee knowledged issues among the relations of Natives, and Africans, Europeans, and Asian Americans. These issues continued through the 18th and 19th centuries and is still happening in today’s world. In all, Lee focused more on the small detail within a culture, for an example examining