According to dictionary.com, the study of trash or rubbish is referred as “garbology”. The study of rubbish is a major aspect in archaeology as argued by William & Murphy (4). The refuse of a certain home inform the researcher on many aspects or believes of the individuals. Some of the aspects are economic status, religions, and political beliefs.
William & Murphy argue that a researcher should be careful when sorting out garbage as it may contain some hazard materials (21). In my research, I took some rubbish from my neighbor’s house and it enabled me to understand my neighbor even more (William & Murphy, 25).
The garbage showed that my neighbor was not a religious person at all. They were cans of beer, cigarettes, and used condoms. The used condoms were a clear indication that my neighbor (he is not married) did not follow any religious teachings. Religious teachings require individuals to only practice sex when married. The cans of beer and cigarettes were also supporting the fact that he was not religious at all. This is because these two types of drugs are condemned in the religious world.
The economic status of my neighbor was a major challenge to analyze. Although the cans of beer and cigarettes may prove someone is financial stable, this is not always true. The products he used were the cheapest in the market. However, the amount of waste from junk food from his house was able to prove that he was in the middle class level.
On the study of the political beliefs, it was clear that my neighbor was a Democrat. They were some posters and banners that indicated he voted for Obama. There were some broken pieces of a mug. After carefully joining them together, it had the Democrats slogan used in the 2004 presidential election.
Works cited
William, Rthaje, Murphy, Cullen. Rubbish: The Archaeology of Garbage. Arizona: University of Arizona Press. 2001. Print
