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To: goody2shooz
"Midden is the black, earth-like substance formed by the debris of ancient cultures"

Etymology: Middle English midding, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse myki dung & Old Norse dyngja manure pile -- more at DUNG
Date: 14th century

Yep, archaeologist are just dumpster divers at heart.
5 posted on 06/28/2003 12:40:18 AM PDT by NotQuiteCricket (flexstand.com)
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To: NotQuiteCricket
"Yep, archaeologist are just dumpster divers at heart."

From Amazon.com:

Rubbish!: The Archaeology of Garbage by William Rathje, Cullen Murphy (Contributor), William Ratheje"

"One of the central tenets of the University of Arizona's Garbage Project is that "what people have owned--and thrown away--can speak more eloquently, informatively, and truthfully about the lives they lead than they themselves ever may." Project garbologists have alchemized more than 250,000 pounds of refuse--from landfills and from trash cans in selected neighborhoods--into a treasure trove for experts in marketing and consumer research, census studies and environmentalism. Garbologists have determined that people waste three times more beef when the meat is in short supply than when it is plentiful; that many women use birth-control pills incorrectly; and that lower-income families consistently buy small-size, brand-name products rather than cheaper generic ones. Erudite and witty cultural tour guides, Rathje, an archeologist and anthropologist who directs the Project, and Atlantic managing editor Murphy claim that our garbage problems are solvable; that, with proper safeguards, incineration may be a viable option in some communities; and that paper--not disposable diapers or fast-food packaging--is a chief culprit in overloading landfills. Illustrated. First serial to Smithsonian; BOMC and QPB alternates; author tour."

7 posted on 06/28/2003 3:49:52 AM PDT by Wonder Warthog (The Hog of Steel)
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To: NotQuiteCricket
"Yep, archaeologist are just dumpster divers at heart."

Be nice.

10 posted on 06/28/2003 6:34:36 PM PDT by blam
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To: NotQuiteCricket
About ten years ago, they shut down Boston's "Big Dig" because
they came across the subterranean end of a long forgotten
outhouse.

The shutdown cost some like $1.3M or 3.1M for the day so the
dumpster divers could go wild, and maybe even bring up some
long dormant virus or bacteria.

14 posted on 06/28/2003 7:06:12 PM PDT by Calvin Locke
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