- •Белорусский государственный университет Кафедра английского языка гуманитарных факультетов
- •Абрамчик е.Ф., Поваляева в.Н., Турляй л.П., Козел л.А.
- •History as a Science
- •Preview
- •Text 1. Understanding History
- •Text 2. How do We Know?
- •Text 3. Examining Archaeology
- •Text 4. Museum – Source of Knowledge and Impressions
- •Polydialogue. The University-wide Open Days
- •The usefulness of archives
- •Video. Dartmoor National Park
- •Vocabulary
- •Follow-up
- •Vocabulary
- •Follow-up
- •Vocabulary
- •Before you view
- •Vocabulary
- •Comprehension tasks
- •Follow-up
- •Writing tasks
- •Finally …
- •Unit 2 first steps toward civilization
- •Text 1. The Early Accomplishments of Homo sapiens
- •Text 2. Setting the Stage for Civilization: The Origins of Food Production
- •Text 3. The Gradual Transition From Food Gathering To Food Production
- •Text 4. The Transition to a Sedentary Way of Life
- •Ex. 1. Translate the text into English.
- •Unit III classical civilization. Ancient greek culture
- •Text 1. The ancient Greeks
- •Text 2. The Evolution of Democracy
- •Text 3. Sparta and Athens
- •Text 4. The Age of Pericles
- •The economy of Athens
- •Text 5. Religions and sports festivals
- •Text 6. Greek Drama
- •Text 7. The Spread of Greek Culture
- •The Golden age of Greek Theatre
- •The tragedy form
- •Александрия
- •Unit IV ancient rome and its socio-political development. The roman empire
- •Text 1. The Rise Of The Republic
- •Text 2. Overseas Expansion
- •Text 3. The Fall Of The Roman Republic
- •Text 4. Greece and Rome
- •The Birth of Rome
- •Text 5. The Early Empire
- •Text 6. Social Rank in the Empire
- •Text 7. The Roman Economy
- •Rich and Poor
- •Золотой век
- •Unit V rome and the christians
- •Text 1. The Early Christians
- •Text 2. Rome and the Christians
- •Text 3. The Decline of Rome
- •Text 4. The Fall Of Rome
- •The Causes of the Fall
- •Христианство
- •Unit VI the middle ages
- •Text 1. The Middle Ages. Their Classification and General Characteristics.
- •Text 2. Byzantine and Its Influence on Neighboring Countries
- •In the Field of Learning and Religion
- •Text 3. Medieval Europe
- •Text 4. The Spirit of the Renaissance
- •Features of Renaissance Art
- •Ex. 2. Translate the text into English. Феодальная система в Западной и Центральной Европе
- •Discussion
- •Text 1. Primordial Belarus – From Forest Tribes to the Decline of Polatsk
- •Text 2. The Development and Flourishing of Great Lithuania
- •Text 3. Belarus after Vitaut: its Golden Age and Decline
- •Text 4. Belarus after the Third Division of Rech Paspalitaya
- •Dialogue Travelling Broadens the Mind
- •B. Some old and Rare Books in the Francisk Skaryna Library in London
- •Part III
- •Britain
- •Preview
- •Reading Text 1. Primitive Society on the territory of the British Isles
- •The Earliest Men
- •The Celts
- •The Primitive Communal System
- •Word Check
- •Comprehension
- •Text 2. The British Empire
- •Text 3. Economic and Social Changes
- •In England in the 18th and 19th Centuries
- •Text 4. Modern Britain. Stability and Change.
- •Rich and Poor
- •Unit II american continet:
- •Its first civilizations and colonies.
- •Text 1. From Early People to Colonies.
- •Text 2. Colonization of America. War For Independence
- •Discussion
- •Text 3. Constitution. Bill of Rights.
- •Comprehension
- •Word Check
- •Ex. 2. Discuss which of them one can find in a) democratic society
- •Text 2. The European Union Read the text and say in a few words the main points of the text
- •Text 3. United Nations Read the text and assimilate its information
- •Security Council.
- •Translation
- •Unit II outstanding people
- •Text 1. The “Father of History”
- •Text 2. Alexander the Great and his Influence
- •Text 3. Elizabeth I.
- •Text 4. John Fitzerald Kennedy.
- •Contents
Text 3. Examining Archaeology
Read the text and search for the information about:
the methods archaeologists use to find out how old an artifact might be;
what other specialists modern archaeologists work with.
Archaeology is the scientific study of the material remains of past human life and activities. These materials include relics, artifacts, monuments. The data of archaeological research is used to reconstruct the various social and economic periods of history for which no written sources exist. Archaeology is the recovery and study of artifacts, ruins, bones and fossils remaining from the past. The artifacts, ruins, bones and fossils that archaeologists discover and study make up archaeological record. By studying the archaeological record archaeologists can learn many things about people of the past: how they lived, what they ate, what diseases they had, and even how they died.
Imagine a village where no one has lived for thousands of years. Over the centuries the wind and rain have swept through its streets, destroying many of its buildings. Eventually, all that is left of the village are the ruins of the buildings and a few artifacts. As more time passes, soil covers the site. Trees grow over the remains. The archaeological record of the village becomes sealed in layers within the earth.
Centuries later, however, signs of the village may be brought back to the earth’s surface. This uncovering occurs in many ways. Erosion, the gradual wearing away of soil might reveal the remains of the ruined buildings. Animals rooting in the ground might dig up artifacts. New settlers clearing the land for farming might uncover more evidence. Archaeologists then are able to examine the surface of the site and can begin to put together the archaeological record. In most cases, however, evidence remains buried in layers in the earth, and archaeologists must use excavation to examine the site. Excavation is the process of digging up the remains of the past
Once archaeologists have located a site, they carefully remove the earth, layer by layer. They divide the surface of the site into squares with grids. As they dig, they carefully record the exact location of every object they find. Studying the layers themselves, as well as the artifacts, can give archaeologists clues about how the archaeological record was formed at different periods of history.
Some areas of the world have been inhabited for thousands of years. In these areas, many groups of people have built cities on top of the ruines of the earlier cities. For example, archaeologists have found evidence of at least seven cities built on top of each other at the site of ancient Troy in modern-day Turkey.
How can archaeologists find out how old an artifact might be? They use two methods: cultural dating and scientific dating.
Cultural dating is a process of gathering information, archaeologists compare objects they find with information they already have.
Some ancient objects can be dated more accurately by analysing them in a laboratory. This kind of analysis is called scientific dating. Archaeologists have developed many scientific dating techniques. The most significant is radiocarbon dating. In this method radioactive carbon within an archaeological discovery is measured to determine the age of the object. Radiocarbon dating can only be used to date the remains of once-living things, such as wood or bones. Here’s how radiocarbon dating works. Every living thing absorbs carbon from the atmosphere. A small amount of carbon is radioactive. When a plant or animal dies, it stops absorbing carbon. The radioactive carbon absorbed when it was alive begins to decay at a known rate. Archaeologists have figured out methods of measuring the amount of radioactive carbon left in things like bones and wood. Using this information, they can figure out when a plant or animal died. Radiocarbon dating has helped solve many mysteries. For example, in 1950 archaeologists used this method to figure out the age of Tollund Man.
Techniques such as radiocarbon dating have given archaeologists valuable information about the past. Nevertheless, people tend to interpret past events in light of their own experiences. As different archaeologists examine the archaeological record, they come to different conclusions about its meaning. Archaeology is not merely a search for beautiful and valuable buried treasures. It is a search for knowledge about the past. Modern archaeologists work closely with other specialists. Geologists study soil and minerals to give archaeologists clues about the condition of the earth at different periods of time. Botanists and zoologists provide information about the plants and the animals that lived at different times. Chemists and physicists use the scientific dating techniques that tell archaeologists the age of ancient artifacts.
As archaeologists and historians debate the different ways in which ideas have spread throughout the world, they examine their sources again and again. They also reinterpret the information. As a result of this continuing study, the present-day view of the past is also changing. Modern archaeologists continue to examine ancient objects in order to piece together the story of the past.
Work Check
Ex. 1. Match the words on the left with their definitions on the right.
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Discussion
Ex. 1. Do the following tasks:
The ancient Romans traded with people from many other parts of the world. How do you know this statement is a fact? Use examples to support your answer.
Imagine that you have discovered some artifacts in an Egyptian tomb. First you write an exact description of the artifacts. Then you write all the uses the artifacts probably had. Finally you write your ideas about the importance of the artifacts. What three types of information are you writing down?
Historians examine a variety of sources and evidence before forming an opinion. In small groups select a major historical event to research. What sources could be used to find out what really happened? Have each member of the group bring in information about the event. Discuss your findings.
Ex. 2. Choose one of the topics for a short talk to be given in class:
Archaeology is a science. The main aims of archaeology.
The profession of an archaeologist is important for present-day life.
Tell your classmates about one of the most interesting (mysterious) discoveries from your point of view.