00:00.00 archpodnet And welcome back to episode one forty nine of life for podcast I am here with David and we were talking about style versus function archeology. So we're gonna do a lightning round of sorts I'm gonna name David an object that can be in the archeological record or contemporary society and ask and he's gonna elaborate whether it's style. 00:18.68 David Howe Go to perchance dot org and you can type in a randomizer for a random object. We can do this I Just found that it might be a you know white supremacy website but not yet. 00:19.27 archpodnet Versus function. 00:24.25 archpodnet Per chance dot org. Okay okay I like that. 00:33.40 archpodnet Um, oh it's perchance dot Org Oh I I typed in purchase it was available. Um. 00:43.38 David Howe Ah, it's probably close to an Amazon website. 00:50.35 archpodnet The fuck is this I don't know what this is. 00:53.75 David Howe All right I got him I just hit randomized and it said like Zebra watch roll of toilet paper. 01:03.91 archpodnet Mine is like a code. 01:05.18 David Howe Oh that org slash object my bed Rachel cut all this out from the fits for the the intro. 01:14.78 archpodnet Okay, Xbox 3 60 controller. 01:19.30 David Howe Okay, see video game controllers are a perfect perfect example of this because I loved the game cube controller it was Ergoina it was perfectly made for links to Smat Brothers for playing any kind of zelba game because you could map the buttons to do what you wanted to do. 01:30.42 archpodnet Ida 2 01:38.52 David Howe However, people complained that it hurt your hands after a while but also it only had 1 analog stick. It didn't have 2 you had the camera stick on the right? So Xbox and playstation were like hold on move over. Let's make 2 analog sticks um and like people moved on to that because you had a lot more first -person shooter games that have people. Eating their left thumb and their right thumb to during the steering and the walking and things um nintendo games didn't do that at the time so that was the perfect game for their controller for that. But all that being said, even with a modern xbox 3 60 controller or a playstation. What are they on places 5 now six I know. 02:14.19 archpodnet There 5 02:17.30 David Howe Um, play those um like you have controllers that look different like you could look at an xbox controller and a playstation control be like okay these have ah a video game function like I know what these are but like 4000 years from now and someone digs that up. What are they going to think the differences were between the playstation or the next box controller like they're not going to understand. There were different corporations that made them. They might think it would do different factions of people and again I'm talking about this in the sense of like looking at it archeologically cause we for the same reason I could pick up a clovis point made in Tennessee. That's a little bit smaller and a clovis point that's made in Wyoming and say these are 2 different people that made these. But really, it could be the same person or same group of people just somebody made one that was smaller and like they had less what rock to work with so. It's like how do we? How do we look at this and like would a playstation controller have more worth. Would it be worth. Is it cost more money than xbox controler or no, this is the style versus function. That's pretty cool. 03:15.11 archpodnet And I think looking at the history of console controllers I think we have hit like nailed down the function because we we've gone through like so many different iterations like you look at and in tantendo 64 versus a game cube like that was a radical change to make it easier to play a game and then the next step and they basically just like kind of copied what the other 2 game systems were doing although like are you I'm more fond of the Xbox controller. 03:34.54 David Howe And. 03:52.49 archpodnet The playstation like I like having my movement stick top left rather than bottom left I think for me I think it's easier to hit that dpad. 04:01.53 David Howe Ive had a playstation since high school. So yeah I prefer Xbox controllers and they work better with pc games too. Um, and the the Nintendo switch is 2 analog sticks but their pro controllller is very similar to an xbox controller I would say more so than a playstation. 04:06.90 archpodnet Laugh. 04:14.49 archpodnet Yeah, so I think at this point we're just at style like the function's been nailed down only so many fingers like we've we've hit that pinnacle of of design. Although like I do have like a pro controller for Xbox where it has. 04:18.79 David Howe Um, you only have so many fingers for a normal panned enabled hand. 04:33.69 David Howe My friend does that yeah because you can map extra things. Yeah. 04:33.70 archpodnet Buttons and toggles at the bottom so I can yeah I love that but I only get super serious. Yeah under the note way I don't have to move my right thumb on my view stick I can just use. Yeah, the fingers down blue. 04:48.20 David Howe Um, not yeah and that's style versus function because I mean it is function in a way. Um, yeah, fuck I could go on a whole thing about video game consoles to how they look and things like that. 04:52.72 archpodnet My middle and ring finger down below. Yep. 05:03.70 David Howe You could also use video game consoles as a marker for stratigraphy because they look so different. Um, you really could. 05:05.74 archpodnet Oh absolutely same with phones like it's like those are the always like my favorite like trying to explain an archeological concept to students. It's like you all know the differences in fucking phone technology at this point and I don't think want to use game controllers next time. But I think. 05:17.31 David Howe Right. 05:23.11 archpodnet Phones are more encompassing to a broader audience. 05:25.40 David Howe Phone. Yeah for sure because not everyone put a we or Nintendo. Um. 05:26.89 archpodnet But we're at the point now with iphones like there's such fucking difference. There's little difference. Firmware wise. Yeah, oh. 05:34.30 David Howe Ah, random object firmware. Yeah oh sorry I was gonna say Cd what can tell me about Cds. Yeah. 05:45.36 archpodnet Definitely I think function at that point going because well there was like laserdiscs that were like massive and it and at that point I think they were able to put more data onto a smaller disc that was more convenient. 05:46.90 David Howe Yeah. 05:52.19 David Howe Yeah, those are huge. 06:02.24 David Howe Ah. 06:02.31 archpodnet To lug around then having you know, basically the equivalent of a record. Yeah and then you could put them. 06:06.75 David Howe Right? Yeah, but like the different the labels on them are vastly different. Do those have a function. How would we look at that. Yeah. 06:15.80 archpodnet Oh absolutely style. Yeah, definitely style 100% I missed the days like being on the bus and everyone had those like packages of Cd cases and and that everybody was just like on the bus like trading cds to listen to and everyone like scrambling. 06:23.30 David Howe The big leather Cd cases. Yeah. 06:31.71 David Howe Now that's what I call music 6 and you're like oh hell yeah yeah. 06:33.27 archpodnet When you got to school or got home to like kids bought 5 You know like the o she they't like kids bought fifty something now it was just like I remember what kids buff was radical like do you want to listen to hot songs that don't have cusswords here's kids bop yeah. 06:48.40 David Howe Um, was it just kids singing it I never had 1 Oh. 06:52.77 archpodnet I never bought one either. But I um fondly remember the commercials on cartoon network and Nickelodeon. 06:58.15 David Howe Same? Um, so how would someone look at the different say an in sync cd versus a backstreet boy Cd. 07:06.90 archpodnet Oh that's excellent I still have Cds from that time and I used to absolutely love in sync back in the day. Loved it. Um. 07:16.68 David Howe Yeah, they're great. 07:22.27 archpodnet I still have my um is it no strings attached Cd had Bye Bye buye on it. Yeah I kind of want to listen to that now fuck I want get that on Spotify did they have instinct and then of course Justin Timberlake went on and just crushing it. But I don't know. 07:25.84 David Howe I Believe that's what it was called. They were all marionettes. Yeah, yeah. 07:38.23 David Howe Yeah. 07:41.46 archpodnet I mean it was kind of the boy band um like copy and paste idea right during that time like everyone was doing it like everyone like there was that there's that structure and I think fifth harmony which broke up a couple years ago with that same deal is like you get a group of people together that all. So. 07:54.94 David Howe Ah, ah, ° 08:01.30 archpodnet Contribute like k-pop is very big in this like there's always the bad boy the nerd like they carbon copies I don't know if like an archeologist was to see an album cover. It's just style. There's no function. 08:09.14 David Howe Um. 08:18.46 David Howe Yeah, just how how were we determined I Guess after the Cds being the exact same size and shape and then there's it would be like pottery stamps you know like there's different stampings on them that would be that would make the most sense. Um I don't know what a bagel bracelet is. 08:26.79 archpodnet Yeah, oh. 08:35.32 David Howe Ah, oh Bangle Bracelet Coffee Mug ah a ceramic. Yeah, and there'd be oh, there's so much style to that too just like a pottery. Okay, that's literally a ceramic I'll move to the next thing. 08:37.56 archpodnet Function. 08:45.78 archpodnet But yeah, but but what makes your coffee mug different than other mugs is that it's meant to not burn your hands when you hold it. It is specifically produced for containing very hot objects. So I would say function superseed style on that. 08:53.12 David Howe M. 09:04.38 archpodnet I mean now of days. They all have fun shit on him and logos. But. 09:07.95 David Howe Yeah I love mondays I hate Mondays whatever the classic mug says sir this is a Wendy's um well well one have you seen that Demmi Lovato interview where they ask your what your favorite dishes. 09:13.70 archpodnet Sir This is a wendy's. 09:23.36 archpodnet What does she say. 09:26.63 David Howe It's like a clot. It's like a viral vine I think which she's they're like what's your favorite dish. She's like um I would say mugs. She's like because you can put you could hold hot bever they were asking like pad tie versus you know spaghetti. Yeah, she was like mugs. But. 09:36.80 archpodnet oh oh, oh what's oh that's funny describe your favorite date like may may twenty eighth or whatever. Yeah, that's funny as shit good for her. 09:48.11 David Howe Um, but I bring that up because she mentions like you know it's you you could they don't burn your hand on him there a little handle sometimes the handles are more ergonomic than others. But again all humans have the same 5 fingers. So like I mean I shouldn't say that not all humans do. Um, there we go? Yeah, yeah, it's the the version one point zero. Um, they ah like it has almost so many ways you can hold a mug and it has to shield your hands from being burned by the the cut you know? So. It's a different type of thing a puddle. That's not an object a cookie jar. 10:04.47 archpodnet That's that's the base template is 5 fingers. That's the vanilla model. 10:23.18 archpodnet I got one I got one I got one flashlight flashlight 10:23.89 David Howe These are all masonic they're up Ma Ceramic flashlight. Ah yeah, that's another one too. They're very they all have at the end of it the eye where the light comes out of for sure. 10:39.91 archpodnet Yep. 10:40.66 David Howe But there's many ways to get there. Some of them are like s shaped some of them are L- shaped something don't laugh. So some of them are like you got the police ones that like you can you know unfortunately hit people with yeah um. 10:49.74 archpodnet Also bashing someone's head with it. Yeah. 10:55.84 David Howe And then but there's also tiny little ones like that you get at the supermarket the energizer ones that are in your hand um, is there any part of the world with less light than others. Yes, Alaska but like at the end of the day like it's you're all seeing the same like what five feet in front of you with a flashlight ah also style voices function. Um, role of masking tip. 11:15.18 archpodnet I Think function I think function is probably with with flashlight probably the most critical I think it's the most critical because like even the descriptions you were describing the descriptions of flashlights that you're just. 11:23.54 David Howe Most what. 11:35.34 archpodnet Um, telling us about like they all serve a different purpose. It's not necessary for sal like the small ones that you buy at the store. It's like something for your car versus the police one which those are like heavy duty search lights like I think how they're built is indicative of their purpose. 11:40.44 David Howe Pocket. Oh. 11:52.13 David Howe That's true. 11:52.18 archpodnet And there's like the children's one that have like Scooby-oo and shit on the side of them that's probably more style I remember having like 1 of the kids ones that you could rotate the lens or something like you know talking about it I think it was yellow like it was a yellow flashlight. It was this fucking look like a ah boombox. 11:55.18 David Howe Yeah. 12:03.70 David Howe That is so funny you bring that up. Ah yet. 12:11.68 archpodnet And then it had like a red filter and then a blue filter like it was just this film. Do you know what? I'm talking about? Yeah yeah, fucking core memory unlocked. 12:15.99 David Howe I remember that yes I remember that yeah it was like a toy. Yeah, or maybe I can yeah um, it's funny. You mentioned Scoobyoo though because in the class when we talked about this, it was band-aids and like do flintstones or Rugrats. Or Scooby-doo band-aid brand bandages have more healing power function versus others. Um and like obviously medically no but if a child. 12:44.20 archpodnet You. 12:48.15 David Howe Would be more likely to keep the Scooby-doo one on because it doesn't you know it's cool looking. It's going to heal better. So like it's other things like this we got to think about too with ceramics and projectile points like yeah that one's dinky and shitty but like maybe a person thought it had good karma on it for like hunting or something you know it's like. 12:52.90 archpodnet Yeah. 13:06.69 David Howe And all of that you got it a deen point. Yeah, you got to take all that into consideration was it two years ago we talked about that recently was two years ago Dean I need to make an Ai generated of Ralph Wickham as a caveman name it dean. 13:06.77 archpodnet It's like a dean point that's a callback like two years ago no yeah we dean first came out a long time ago. 13:26.30 David Howe Um, that's our new logo. Um, the Grandma tells me to burn things. Ah those was a laerka and tell me weird things I hang out with Grandma that was the thing. Ah, but yes, so you got to think about that stuff when you're categorizing artifacts because like. 13:28.80 archpodnet Those berries taste like burning. 13:43.96 David Howe It's all it's stuff. We're never going to know? Um, but like how what the function is or like why the Scooby-doo band-aid would be more prized to children than the other ones. Obviously it has a a cute character on the front of it. But it's still like that we we can't figure out but at the same time. Precesual archeology is just like okay these ones are decorated. These ones aren't we'll deal with that later separate them to decorated versus undecorated which is what I did at curation for 4 years and like you could figure out the stuff later I don't know it's endless stuff. You can think about with this topic. 14:14.97 archpodnet Yeah I think when I think of like band-aids different types. What easily comes to mind part of this debate or like Valentine's day cards did you use to do those in elementary school like Valentine's day everyone would give you like run around the classroom and put valentines in each other's bags. 14:30.75 David Howe Girls didn't like me dude I wasn't that kind of kid not until college. But. 14:36.72 archpodnet But did that experience occur like was that activity allowed. Regardless if you received valentine's or not. 14:45.70 David Howe I Don't think I ever received a a valentine from like ah a real one but we did like the class like fill out heart cards and cut them out. Yeah, what do we give to people. 14:48.47 archpodnet Yeah, but like yeah because I think I remember like trying to get like the coolest valentines like it was always like kind of like who had the best valentines and if you had 1 that if you and someone else had the same valentines that was kind of lame. 15:04.18 David Howe The same valentines. Oh let the stationery the stationery gotcha I thought you had just like a valentine's present at the guard. Yeah. 15:06.27 archpodnet Like the same type like if I got Batman valentines and you got the same brand. Yeah, the stationery of the valentines. no no no I mean like purely purely style. Very little function. Other than capitalism. 15:26.50 David Howe The yeah, that's true. Ah well is there how many of your rings 3 rings 7 rings nine rings. You said 1 ring a ring. Okay. 15:30.10 archpodnet Um, about a ring like jewelry style or function just as one ran a ring one ran to rule them all. 15:44.19 David Howe Um, there we go I mean if it's been alert. They definitely have functions. But if it's on. He's the mandate. He's a good kid. Ah, he's probably my age. 15:51.40 archpodnet But careful now we don't want to upset archeo do it do to day and we don't want to overstep boundaries ah never felt so insulted on Discord before. 16:02.91 David Howe Ah, it's okay Doc. Um the rigs. Yeah so I still struggle finding which hand and this is what you guys anyone listening who's younger than 18 once you get to 22 everyone starts getting married around you you really have to learn like okay who has a ring on their finger and who does it. It's something you start looking at um and maybe that was just me but I also still to this day can never remember what hand it is and then I'm dyslexic so when I look at somebody like that's definitely their left hand. But then I like have to raise my left hand to be like well that's my left. That's their right? and then they've I've the conversation thats left at this point point being rings signify that you're married or engaged or not but you change the engaged thinker and like it's all the culture with that and I'm like is are they married or not I don't know. Ah. 16:45.37 archpodnet If yeah, yeah. 16:51.25 archpodnet I Think there's a lot I think like yes wedding rings are function other rings like the one that I have on my hand I think that's it's a little bit of style but also like there's a very like I wear Turquoise and I think there's a function to that. 16:53.46 David Howe That's it. 17:09.78 archpodnet It's a very like southwest oriented style of jewelry. That's often associated with indigenous folks or like pretend cowboys. Well. 17:12.14 David Howe Oh my is her so style. 17:26.18 archpodnet I See it also is like a function of identity display I guess. 17:32.88 David Howe And your identity as a single person versus of a married person. Um, well yeah, I'm just nameing another bring purpose. 17:33.78 archpodnet No for like well the Turquoise Southwestern ring is like as in as indigenous and then I wear a lot of turquoise generally. But yeah with the wedding ring. That's like a function of I'm taken. Yeah no I've always had turquoise. Yeah. 17:44.57 David Howe You do always have rings. You had a you had a frat ring 1 time too't yeah, no your frat sweatshirt that was it. That's right, um somebody I know wears a ring class ring or something I never got a class ring in high school. But um. 17:53.69 archpodnet My friends switch her. 17:59.50 archpodnet Now I like my fraternity but not like that much like that's that's like if I want to rep letters I'll rep letters or like like most of my frat t-shirts now are just sleepwear. That's their function. They used to be identity display back on campus Now they're. 18:02.25 David Howe I Don't think I bought my yearbook. Fair enough. 18:19.20 archpodnet Just purely for this is an extra t-shirt. 18:22.51 David Howe Yeah, we got you? Um well I guess with ring and that especially turquoise too like we would see yeah Turquoise jewelry very much concentrates to the southwest um is there Turquoise mines there to make those gems. Ah. 18:39.10 archpodnet Yeah, yeah. 18:39.38 David Howe Actually not sure entirely. But there's a culture there that obviously in that area uses them just like Cumberland points were here in Tennessee but rings too like if you dig up an old ring from well let's see a piece of shell that was tied to ah, an organic ring somebody made in pleistocene europe like. 18:56.12 archpodnet Okay. 18:58.75 David Howe You're going to pull that up. You have no idea what the marriage ceremonies were whether that meant like married or single or that meant like War captive. You don't know like what that that ring meant. Ah so it's like you got to ask yourself all these things but like. 19:10.20 archpodnet Right. 19:16.14 David Howe It's just funny to me as one an archeologist will put it the way as ring and like people might think that's super reduction is but it has to be because how else you can classify it I can't say that this is a marriage ring versus a a Navajo shamans ring you know, um. 19:28.70 archpodnet Yeah, what did when did um, wedding rings become a thing I'm gonna look it up now when did. 19:35.94 David Howe It's part of those things that I feel like when you look it up, You're gonna be bummed like most things about marriage or women in the past in general. 19:48.24 David Howe Your eyes are lighting up I'm scared. 19:49.38 archpodnet Ah. 19:52.30 archpodnet The date back as far as the Roman Era but did not come into common use into the seventeen hundreds and then only among the upper class. 19:59.80 David Howe Well that makes sense. 20:03.98 archpodnet Diamond engagement rings first spike in popularity during the mid eighteenth century after Brazil emerged as a major diamond source making them more readily available. Yeah, um, but world war two is a big turning point for engagement rings but also wedding bands. 20:18.76 David Howe Because all the soldiers stole them from Europe and castles. 20:21.19 archpodnet And some more widespre world War two is also responsible for establishing the tradition of men's wedding bands. So basically as as a reminder of their wives back home. 20:32.41 David Howe Gotcha. 20:34.80 archpodnet I don't know wedding rings stress me the fuck out there. Yeah. 20:37.62 David Howe They do next segment.