The Basics
What is archaeology?
Archaeology is defined as, "the scientific study of material remains (as fossil relics, artifacts, and monuments) of past human life and activities," according to Merriam-Webster. Archaeology is so much more than finding neat artifacts from past human civilizations. Archaeologists work to document, analyze, and understand past human activity through the study of what has been left behind (material culture). This material culture can be anything from stone tools to temples and pyramids.
Important definitions
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Site: a location where evidence of human activity has been preserved
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Context: The position and associations of an artifact, feature, or archaeological find in space and time (archaeological.org). By anaylzing where the artifact was found and what was near it allow archaeologists to gain a better understanding of the objects meaning.
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Provenience: an artifact or feature's location in 3-dimensional space.
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Material Culture: physical objects that were used by specific cultures that define their way of life.
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Archaeological record: the collection of physical evidence that relates to the human past.
Credit: Axel Hindemith
Where do archaeologists start?
The first step in the process is surveying. Archaeologists use a variety of different tecniques to survey land in order to determine where there might be possible artifacts. Once an area of land has been surveyed, archaeologists then create detailed maps of proposed sites. These maps are created using various technologies including GPS total stations and GIS (Geographic Information System). After these maps have been made, excavation can then be conducted. During excavation, archaeologists carefully and systematically record data relating to any evidence of past human activity at the site. This data can include a description of the physical appearance of an artifact or feature, as well as the specific location in 3-dimenional space that the object is located in. All of this data is recorded and analyzed in order to understand more about past human civilizations. Since excavation is a destructive activity, archaeologists need to be sure that every little detail of a site is recorded, since the site can never be restored to its original form again.