http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/authors/3318/ian-mctaggart Inquiries Journal provides undergraduate and graduate students around the world a platform for the wide dissemination of academic work over a range of core disciplines. en-us Mon, 06 Apr 2026 07:40:14 -0400 Mon, 06 Apr 2026 07:40:14 -0400 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1331/a-tale-of-garbage By Ian McTaggart - In 1973, an American archaeologist named Dr. William Rathje sought to create a method that would help his students understand the intricacies of archaeological fieldwork. Dr. Rathje recognized that his students at the University of Arizona were having a difficult time understanding cultural remains from the past (Rathje, 1979, p. 4), so his idea was to use contemporary cultural material waste as a study tool. He named this method "The Garbage Project." Given that the project took place during 1970s and students of the time were far removed from potsherds and post holes, it made sense to articulate... Tue, 01 Sep 2015 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1331/a-tale-of-garbage