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70 For some, archaeology is nothing more than a way of passing the time. Archaeo­ logical investigations are a way of determining if Moctezuma wore rope or leather sandals on his feet, or of knowing if Cuauhtémoc did his own “manicure” or entrusted this to bronzed “toiletistes.” Other wags whisper that archaeologists hunt for a depository of Toltec “unfalsifiables,” as they cannot believe that a seri­ ous man would find interest in unearthing a bunch of stones with “monkeys” and hieroglyphicsonthem.Therearealsothosewhothinkthatourantiquitiesshould bepreserved“justbecause”or“becausetheyarepretty.”Unfortunately,thatlossof public esteem is justified by the deeds of many frauds who call themselves archae­ ologists, with the same justification that they might call themselves pedicurists or astronomers. In archaeology as in good fortune, there have been many who are called but few who are chosen. We must therefore unmask that intellectual rabble that has been destroying and discrediting the monuments of our past. What is archaeology? The science of the ancient? The study of ancient architectural monuments, of archaic ceramics . . . of indigenous manuscripts? We have heard this question asked a thousand times and answered differently each time. This should give the reader a sense of the conventionalism of this word. For some, it has a definition as broad as the ocean or the earth, and for others it is restricted within ridiculous limits. We will attempt to define the sig­ nificance that this much-discussed term can have among us. We cannot simply accept the literal significance of archaeology as “the science or study of ancient things.” Defined in this way, it would encompass the study of other ancient things, like paleozoology, paleobotany, and so forth. 14 Synthetic Concept of Archaeology 71 S y n t h e t i c C o n c e p t o f A r c h a e o l o g y Archaeology is an integral part of that conjunction of knowledge that is of most interest to all of humanity: anthropology, or the “science of man.” Anthropology provides knowledge of peoples in three ways: by physical type, by language, and by their culture or civilization. We consider archaeology to be the study of the culture or civilization of the human groups that inhabited our country before the Conquest.1 This differs considerably from how people in Europe define the discipline of archaeology, the length of time that it encom­ passes, and its relationship to prehistory and history. The archaeological study of pre-Columbian civilization must focus on both its material and intellectual manifestations. The first of these include architecture, ceramics, codices or manuscripts, sculpture, painting, domestic and industrial implements, weapons, and all of the other material objects that are the work of that civilization. The second series of manifestations of preColumbian civilization includes ethical and aesthetic ideas, religious concepts, scientific knowledge, and the organization of religious, civil, and military insti­ tutions. In general, this second category includes cultural manifestations of abstract character. Knowledge of different aspects of pre-Columbian culture contributes to our understanding of the roots of the characteristics that distin­ guished the Mexican population during the Colonial period. Knowing these aspects of the past, we can authoritatively approach the study of the current population, a knowledge that should be the true gospel of good government. We now see how transcendent are the practical ends of archaeology, which go far beyond knowing about the Aztec systems of manicure and the footwear of Moctezuma and Cuahtemoc. 1 The author recently presented to the Mexican Academy of History regarding the true chronological limits of history and archaeology, which we will not transcribe here because of their length. ...

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