,AGE3702
ASSIGNMENT 4 PORTFOLIO
DUE DATE: 5 OCTOBER 2026
FOR MORE ASSIGNMENTS & ASSISTANCE WHATSAPP
0835994837
, QUESTION 1
1.1 Understanding archaeology and archaeological evidence
1.1.1 Archaeology and history use different sources to study the past
Although archaeology and history are both concerned with the study of the past, they rely
on different kinds of evidence. Historians generally work with written sources such as letters,
government documents, newspapers, diaries and official records. Archaeologists
investigate the physical traces left by people, including tools, pottery, bones, fireplaces,
buildings, rock art and layers of soil containing archaeological material (Renfrew & Bahn,
2012).
Archaeology is particularly useful when investigating communities that did not produce
written records. The absence of written documents does not mean that such communities
cannot be studied. Their activities left behind physical evidence that can be examined and
interpreted by archaeologists. Stone tools, for example, can provide information about
technology and hunting, while animal remains can provide clues about food and
subsistence practices.
Archaeological evidence can also give attention to people whose experiences were not
recorded in written documents. Written histories often focus on political leaders,
governments or important events, while archaeological evidence can reveal details about
everyday life. It can show how people prepared food, made tools, used the environment
and organised their living spaces (Renfrew & Bahn, 2012).
Kruger Cave demonstrates this importance because its archaeological deposits contain
evidence associated with Later Stone Age occupation. The rock art and other
archaeological remains provide information about people who lived in the area during
periods for which there are no written records produced by those communities. Archaeology
therefore allows researchers to investigate histories that cannot be reconstructed from
written sources alone (Bradfield et al., 2022).
1.1.2 Archaeological evidence can reveal different aspects of human life
ASSIGNMENT 4 PORTFOLIO
DUE DATE: 5 OCTOBER 2026
FOR MORE ASSIGNMENTS & ASSISTANCE WHATSAPP
0835994837
, QUESTION 1
1.1 Understanding archaeology and archaeological evidence
1.1.1 Archaeology and history use different sources to study the past
Although archaeology and history are both concerned with the study of the past, they rely
on different kinds of evidence. Historians generally work with written sources such as letters,
government documents, newspapers, diaries and official records. Archaeologists
investigate the physical traces left by people, including tools, pottery, bones, fireplaces,
buildings, rock art and layers of soil containing archaeological material (Renfrew & Bahn,
2012).
Archaeology is particularly useful when investigating communities that did not produce
written records. The absence of written documents does not mean that such communities
cannot be studied. Their activities left behind physical evidence that can be examined and
interpreted by archaeologists. Stone tools, for example, can provide information about
technology and hunting, while animal remains can provide clues about food and
subsistence practices.
Archaeological evidence can also give attention to people whose experiences were not
recorded in written documents. Written histories often focus on political leaders,
governments or important events, while archaeological evidence can reveal details about
everyday life. It can show how people prepared food, made tools, used the environment
and organised their living spaces (Renfrew & Bahn, 2012).
Kruger Cave demonstrates this importance because its archaeological deposits contain
evidence associated with Later Stone Age occupation. The rock art and other
archaeological remains provide information about people who lived in the area during
periods for which there are no written records produced by those communities. Archaeology
therefore allows researchers to investigate histories that cannot be reconstructed from
written sources alone (Bradfield et al., 2022).
1.1.2 Archaeological evidence can reveal different aspects of human life
