ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explains an archaeologist who studies the recent and, sometimes, contemporary past, the author realized that the material culture of Mardi Gras deserved archaeological study. The parade rushes on unaware of individual intrigues, and beads that are perceived as less desirable fly through the air uncaught or tossed on the ground. These discarded beads will be stomped into the muddy ground and become part of what is more typically thought of as the archaeological record awaiting recovery from the earth by future generations of archaeologists. Archaeologists popularly say that each week in the field represents six months in the laboratory. While archaeologists tells that they are not interested in things they find as much as they are interested in what they learn from the things, the reality is that they all like to find that unusual or exciting artifact that stands out from the rest.
