Intellects were stirred and mouths watered Thursday night at an
archaeology open house in the Fowler Museum on campus. Students,
faculty and the general public got the chance to see archaeology in
action and listen to a lecture on the origins and history of
chocolate.
Friends of Archaeology, a support group for graduate students
interested in archaeology, sponsored the event which entailed a
non-guided tour through the Cotsen Institute, allowing students to
ask questions and observe the work of archaeologists. The open
house ended with a lecture by California State University,
Dominguez Hills Professor Janine Gasco, titled “Chocolate:
Origins & History of Cacao Cultivation in
Mesoamerica.”
UCLA does not offer an undergraduate major in archaeology.
Instead, students interested in the field are encouraged to enter
majors such as anthropology or classical civilization. The Cotsen
Institute is a resource available for all students interested in
the field of archaeology.
Helle Girey, archaeology program director, said the Cotsen
Institute is a research unit that brings archaeologists from
various departments on campus. Students have the opportunity to get
involved with a variety of projects that faculty members are
working on.
Additionally, the institute also maintains an interdepartmental
graduate program that often sends graduate students on
archaeological digs to exotic places such as Egypt, Iceland, Greece
and Mongolia, Girey said.
She said the open house was meant to “bring awareness to
the field of archaeology and to see what actually goes on
here.”
On Thursday night people milled through a labyrinth of rooms and
laboratories, where archaeologists fielded questions and explained
the significance of a variety of artifacts.
At the Mediterranean laboratory, Ernestine S. Elster, a research
associate, told students about a prehistoric dig in North Eastern
Greece that she participated in. The dig involved the excavation of
a mound dating from about 5500 B.C. ““ 2200 B.C.
Archaeologists were able to identify that the natives of that
region domesticated grapes and used spiny oysters as currency,
Elster said.
The Ceramics Study Group, a program associated with the Cotsen
Institute, sponsored an interactive workshop that allowed students
to see how ancient people made pottery.
Marilyn Beaudry-Corbett, a research associate and member of the
Ceramics Study Group, said “pottery is very interesting and
important to the archaeological record. It establishes chronology,
among other things.”
Beaudry-Corbett also described the re-use of different clay
sources available. A viable clay source was actually found in the
UCLA botanical gardens and later used to make a small pot,
Beaudry-Corbett said.
Naomi Shiraiwa, a fourth-year psychology student, was present at
the event and enjoyed looking at the different artifacts. Shiraiwa
said it brought “the past to life” and that she felt
like she was rediscovering the past.
Students and the public got a taste of how archaeology functions
in the modern world with a concluding lecture on chocolate, by
Gasco.
The lecture gave an overview of what archaeologists know about
cacao, ancient cacao growers, and how the industry has changed over
the years.
Gasco told the audience that cacao was very important to the
native people of Mesoamerica. It had a sacred purpose and was used
for divination, the art of predicting the future, and also as a
form of currency.
Due to deforestation and economic problems, Gasco said native
cacao farmers are having a difficult time selling chocolate in the
international market. As a result, archaeologists such as Gasco are
hoping to connect farmers with the international markets.
The event included a sample of the lecture’s subject: free
Hershey’s Kisses for everyone who attended.