Archaeology

Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and <a href="/facts/Analysis/heFlRrYd">analysis</a> of <a href="/facts/Material_culture/nbka4wGL">material culture</a>. The <a href="/facts/Archaeological_record/CNHr7zAE">archaeological record</a> consists of <a href="/facts/Artifact_(archaeology)/SftLTFf5">artifacts</a>, <a href="/facts/Architecture/FccThs8G">architecture</a>, <a href="/facts/Biofact_(archaeology)/kH5LhvK5">biofacts</a> or ecofacts, <a href="/facts/Archaeological_site/zC1LtpXB">sites</a>, and <a href="/facts/Cultural_landscape/RmMBfLVB">cultural landscapes</a>. Archaeology can be considered both a <a href="/facts/Social_science/hAbm1xtD">social science</a> and a branch of the <a href="/facts/Humanities/nErauGkd">humanities</a>. It is usually considered an independent <a href="/facts/Academic_discipline/pKoQHpYL">academic discipline</a>, but may also be classified as part of <a href="/facts/Anthropology/W6WK1C3a">anthropology</a> (in North America – the <a href="/facts/Four-field_approach/sUeqa4eR">four-field approach</a>), <a href="/facts/History/bSKgXaCA">history</a> or <a href="/facts/Geography/TRd1Toyo">geography</a>. The discipline involves <a href="/facts/Survey_(archaeology)/4n60eFBg">surveying</a>, <a href="/facts/Archaeological_excavation/D11k38ob">excavation</a>, and eventually <a href="/facts/Post_excavation/Vzs1sCBu">analysis</a> of data collected, to learn more about the past. In broad scope, archaeology relies on cross-disciplinary research.
Archaeologists study human <a href="/facts/Prehistory/52D6oKM4">prehistory</a> and history, from the development of the first <a href="/facts/Stone_tool/JQxItKEm">stone tools</a> at <a href="/facts/Lomekwi/70apR8m1">Lomekwi</a> in East Africa 3.3 million years ago up until recent decades. Archaeology is distinct from <a href="/facts/Palaeontology/60n5yldd">palaeontology</a>, which is the study of <a href="/facts/Fossil/by7NzIA1">fossil</a> remains. Archaeology is particularly important for learning about prehistoric societies, for which, by definition, there are no written records. Prehistory includes over 99% of the human past, from the <a href="/facts/Paleolithic/I48SMHo5">Paleolithic</a> until the advent of literacy in societies around the world. Archaeology has various goals, which range from understanding <a href="/facts/Culture_history/a0aUPE8N">culture history</a> to reconstructing past <a href="/facts/Lifeway/xap5Cpjs">lifeways</a> to documenting and explaining changes in human societies through time. Derived from Greek, the term archaeology means "the study of ancient history".
Archaeology developed out of <a href="/facts/Antiquarianism/dCTDy9DX">antiquarianism</a> in Europe during the 19th century, and has since become a discipline practiced around the world. Archaeology has been used by nation-states to create particular visions of the past. Since its early development, various specific sub-disciplines of archaeology have developed, including <a href="/facts/Maritime_archaeology/UQ0lBpXf">maritime archaeology</a>, <a href="/facts/Feminist_archaeology/EgwU7nmY">feminist archaeology</a>, and <a href="/facts/Archaeoastronomy/6yE1gmmg">archaeoastronomy</a>, and numerous different scientific techniques have been developed to aid archaeological investigation. Nonetheless, today, archaeologists face many problems, such as dealing with <a href="/facts/Pseudoarchaeology/M1jpxztJ">pseudoarchaeology</a>, the <a href="/facts/Archaeological_looting/rS1AzX5L">looting</a> of artifacts, a lack of public interest, and opposition to the excavation of human remains.

Archaeology open-in-new

Archaeology