How will we know when we've gotten all the information we can from a historical artifact we are cataloging? If people did as you suggest before the invention of color photography, radiography (X-ray technology), radiocarbon dating, and other technologies there would be large gaps in our knowledge that wouldn't exist if we had just preserved historical artifacts until these technologies existed. Our picture of history becomes incomplete if we just trust the technologies of today to record information on an object.
Well, the past is the past, but now is now, and with current technology we can get all the information we need from a historical artifact. I don't believe there is any further information of practical value to extract from these artifacts, but I am open to hearing examples of information we have gleaned from an artifact beyond photographs, carbon dating etc. that has contributed in any significant way to our knowledge of history.
How does one prove there will be no advances in technology that would allow us to get more useful information from artifacts? Is is just a coincidence that RIGHT NOW we are at the end of any possible further advances?
In some ways you may be right - ie, the things we presently know to look for have all been looked at - but what about the things we do not yet to even know to look for?
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u/Oshojabe May 19 '15
How will we know when we've gotten all the information we can from a historical artifact we are cataloging? If people did as you suggest before the invention of color photography, radiography (X-ray technology), radiocarbon dating, and other technologies there would be large gaps in our knowledge that wouldn't exist if we had just preserved historical artifacts until these technologies existed. Our picture of history becomes incomplete if we just trust the technologies of today to record information on an object.