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According
to the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language,
archaeology
is" the systematic recovery and scientific study of
material
evidence of human life and culture in past ages." Most see an
archaeologist as someone wearing khakis and an Indiana Jones-style hat,
who's up to his or her elbows in fossils and shards.
Sure,
archaeologists dig up and study bits and pieces of the past to
help
reconstruct life back then. And while rifling around a dusty
attic
or basement may not be as romantic as finding a 4,000-year-old
pottery
shard, it, nevertheless can yield some interesting finds.
It's
amazing what can be found in old trunks and shoeboxes.
A
family history amounts to more than mere vital statistics. While
many
searchers compile lists of names, birth, marriage and death
dates,
they often miss the most important part--who were these
people?
Letters,
diaries, personal journals, memoirs, photo albums, clothing
and
other family artifacts can add flesh and blood to the ancestral
bones
and show these peoples' personalities.
Mothers,
especially, are great savers. Beginning with keeping a baby
book,
they tend to amass an entire childhood history of their
offspring.
When her son is part of the team that won the state
basketball
championship, she cut out newspaper clippings telling of
it.
When her daughter got married, she clipped the newspaper
engagement
and wedding announcements. When her husband went off
to
war, she saved the letters he sent.
Thanks
to Eastman Kodak, even ordinary families kept a record of
their
lives through photographs. While the appearance of the photo
albums
has changed considerably--from black and white snapshots to
videotapes--the
purpose remains the same: to make a visual record of
family
events. Often, scrapbooks contained not only photographs but
recipes,
souvenirs, postcards, ticket stubs and such.
Old
letters between friends, acquaintances and lovers can reveal the
innermost
secrets of their lives. Letter writing was the main means
of
communication until the mid-20th century. Before the days of
television
and the Internet, people sat down and wrote long, detailed
letters
containing news from home to faraway family members. A
letter
filled with details of widely scattered relatives helps to
trace
generations, especially when localities are mentioned.
Letters
also may suggest relationships that aren't easily determined
otherwise.
And the date or year of a given letter may supply a
valuable
point of reference for an event which isn't recorded
elsewhere
When perusing old letters, not only look at their contents
but
also take note of their postmarks, dates, and return addresses.
Diaries
and personal journals didn't contain the immature line-a-day
ramblings
of teenage girls but were adult depositories for thoughts
and
reactions to events. Their authors filled them with personal
expressions
and reactions to life and events that helps attach a
personality
to their name. It's essential to record any names found
in
a diary, since they may come into play later.
It's
a good rule never to borrow or keep personal documents. Make a
copy,
if possible, or extract all the information needed and ask to
see
the items again.
Lastly,
don't take it for granted that attics and basements are the
only
places relatives kept treasured documents. Letters were often
stuffed
within the pages of a favorite book, while personal diaries
and
letter collections were often hidden in secret places in walls or
floors.
Look for clues and get permission before going on a wild
goose
chase that could do damage.
As
in archaeology, the people who could have answered questions are
long
gone. But their thoughts remain.
You
can learn more about Bob Brooke by visiting his Web site
http://www.bobbrooke.com
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