The Archaeology Of Mars

The Adjacent World The Archaeology of colonisation and Mars

If we demolished the pyramids would anybody notice? Image courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech

When does something become Heritage?
Space Heritage is largely a product of the Cold War. e.g.

Sputnik / Vanguard
Image courtesy of NASA

Sputnik / Vanguard
The British Space Programme at Woomera.
Image courtesy of Dr Alice Gorman

Sputnik / Vanguard
The British Space Programme at Woomera.
Skylab / Mir
Image courtesy of ESA

Sputnik / Vanguard
The British Space Programme at Woomera
Skylab / Mir
The Race to the Moon and Mars
Image from Amazon

There is a common notion that everywhere has been colonised Image from “The Truman Show” (1998)

The problems of exploration are underestimated by many Image from http://www.marsshop.com

The number of mars probes has varied considerably in recent decades

Orbital mechanics lead us to expect some clustering of probes Image from Mariner 4 press kit 1964

Orbital mechanics lead us to expect some clustering of probes Animation: Venus Express from http://www.esa.int

The first exoarchaeological surveys of mars date from after 1877
Giovanni Schiaparelli
Image from http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/BruceMedalists/Schiaparelli/

Giovanni Schiaparelli
Percival Lowell
The first exoarchaeological surveys of mars date from after 1877 Image from http://www.lowell.edu/AboutLowell/plowell.html

Many recognised acts of colonial behaviour are already occurring Image courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech

Many recognised acts of colonial behaviour are already occurring
Marcy Rockman on Knowledge and Learning
Image from Amazon

Locational Locations and physical characteristics of necessary resources. e.g. basic mapping of major highlands / lowlands of Mars.
Image from Amazon

Locational
Limitational Boundaries and costs of necessary resources. e.g. seasonal variation of Martian polar caps.
Image from Amazon

Locational
Limitational
Social Attributions of names, meanings and patterns to natural features. Transformation of environment into human landscape.
Image from Amazon

Discussion point
These points are basic / fundamental to the presentation. Therefore ethically I should make it easy to note / remember the book that I’m citing.
How do you do that without interrupting the flow of the talk?
Image from Amazon

Discussion point
These points are basic / fundamental to the presentation. Therefore ethically I should make it easy to note / remember the book that I’m citing.
How do you do that without interrupting the flow of the talk?
Rockman, M. 2003. ‘Knowledge and Learning in the Archaeology of Colonization’ in The Colonization of Unfamiliar Landscapes: The Archaeology of Adaptation . eds. M. Rockman and J. Steele. Routledge. (1-24) Section cited on page 3

Probes from the 1960s Film clip from ‘Planet Mars’ courtesy of NASA

Probes from the 1960s Image courtesy of NASA : http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/database/MasterCatalog?sc=1964-077A

Probes from the 1960s Image courtesy of NASA : http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/database/MasterCatalog?sc=1964-077A Technologically a new era? 1 st successful Mars fly-by.

Probes from the 1960s Image courtesy of NASA : http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/imgcat/html/object_page/m04_01d.html Technologically a new era? 1 st successful Mars fly-by.

Scientifically a new era?
Locational
Limitational
Social

Scientifically a new era?
Locational
Limitational
Social
TV camera
Magnetometer
dust detector
cosmic ray telescope
trapped radiation detector
solar plasma probe
ionization chamber (Geiger counter)

In the 1960s the relationship with Mars remained Archaeologically Platonic Image courtesy of NASA: Mariner-Mars final project report

In the 1970s a new phase of exploration began Image from NASA: http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/viking.html

In the 1970s a new phase of exploration began Image from Malin Space Science Systems: www.msss.com/mars/pictures/viking_lander/viking_lander.html

Probes from the 1980s

Probes from the 1990s Image courtesy of NASA

The 1990s saw the naming of local sites on mars Image courtesy of NASA

In the 2000s the definition of the martian landscape is being contested

Proto-colonisation is scheduled to start this year Image courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech

2010 was to have marked a new phase in martian colonisation Image courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech

New issues for Colonial Archaeology
Mars has no native culture. How does the colonial venture define itself? What will be a place on Mars?
Who are the agents of colonisation? Revival of the Dutch East Mars Company?
For all mankind? What about the technological barriers to 3 rd world countries

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The Archaeology Of Mars

by Alun Salt

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