What The Awl Means Summary

Effective Criticism, Ineffective Execution

Janet Spector’s book What The Awl Means is a break-way writing that reflects on many relevant issues within archeology during the twentieth century. She addresses the academic issues within archeology specifically when learning about Native Americans. Through in-depth reports on archeological sites and artifacts Spector, introduces a new form of archeological review. She introduces her primary intensions to replace orthodox archeological methods, by integrating Native American voices into her project. But, Spector’s specific motives to dismantle the ignorance people hold towards Native American specifically in archeology, is ineffective. Spector gives effective judgment when expressing her internal

During her introduction Spector openly reflects on her rather distaste for the archeology she learned, because the archeologist was detached from the artifact. She states, “the archeology I was taught was objective, object oriented, and objectifying” (Spector3). Spector’s first chapter ironically names “Archaeology and Empathy” raises hope of multiple influential change in archeology. Her fiction story on the awl is an effective execution of native voices, but we get no further liveliness of other objects. The remaining artifacts she announces are dethatched from the motives she grasped. We are giving multiple generic run-downs on the other objects she finds, and but because there is a lack engagement it felt rather dull. One way she could have stay way from mainstream archeology was also giving an analysis on one of the multiple men artifacts she found (Spector 113), like she did for the women. Rather we get a fading presence of native voices and a clear depiction of object orientated artifacts. She gives engaging aspiration to stay clear of objectified mainstream archeology but she returns to the same methods. It seems hypocritical because her she posses no change for the preaching’s she