Archaeology

Archaeology, or archeology (from Greek ἀρχαιολογία, archaiologia – ἀρχαῖος, arkhaīos, "ancient"; and -λογία, -logiā, "-logy"), is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture and environmental data which they have left behind, which includes artefacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes (the archaeological record). The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, and cultural landscapes. Archaeologists study human prehistory and history. In the United States it is thought of as a branch of anthropology, altho Archaeology, or archeology (from Greek ἀρχαιολογία, archaiologia – ἀρχαῖος, arkhaīos, "ancient"; and -λογία, -logiā, "-logy"), is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture and environmental data which they have left behind, which includes artefacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes (the archaeological record). The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, and cultural landscapes. Archaeologists study human prehistory and history. In the United States it is thought of as a branch of anthropology, although in Europe it is viewed as a separate discipline.

Archaeology studies human history from the development of the first stone tools in eastern Africa 3.4 million years ago up until recent decades. It is of most importance for learning about prehistoric societies, when there are no written records for historians to study, and which makes up over 99% of total human history, from the Palaeolithic until the advent of literacy in any given society. Archaeology has various different goals, which range from studying human evolution to cultural evolution and understanding culture history.

The discipline involves surveying, excavation and eventually analysis of data collected to learn more about the past. In broad scope, archaeology relies on cross-disciplinary research. It draws upon anthropology, history, art history, classics, ethnology, geography, geology, linguistics, physics, information sciences, chemistry, statistics, palaeoecology, palaeontology, palaeozoology, palaeoethnobotany, and palaeobotany.

Archaeology developed out of antiquarianism in Europe during the 19th century, and has since become a discipline practised across the world. Since its early development, various specific sub-disciplines of archaeology have developed, including maritime archaeology, feminist archaeology and archaeoastronomy, and numerous different scientific techniques have been developed to aid archaeological investigation. Nonetheless, today, archaeologists face many problems, ranging from dealing with pseudoarchaeology to the looting of artefacts and opposition to the excavation of human remains. ...more

New Releases Tagged "Archaeology"

The Sea-King and the Sorceress: Life and Death in the Viking Age

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The Ark Files (Eden Black Archaeological Thrillers #1)

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Neptune's Fortune: The Billion-Dollar Shipwreck and the Ghosts of the Spanish Empire

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Archaeology Books

Archaeology: Theories, Methods and Practice

The Horse, the Wheel, and Language: How Bronze-Age Riders from the Eurasian Steppes Shaped the Modern World

1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed

Crocodile on the Sandbank (Amelia Peabody, #1)

Gods, Graves & Scholars: The Story of Archaeology

1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus

The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity

The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Its Sacred Texts

Lives in Ruins: Archaeologists and the Seductive Lure of Human Rubble

Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age

In Small Things Forgotten: An Archaeology of Early American Life

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Lists

The Dancing Goddesses by Elizabeth Wayland Barber

Quaternary Coastlines and Marine Archaeology by P.M. Masters

Assessing Site Significance by Donald L. Hardesty

"Archaeology"

179 books — 3 voters

The Long Man of Wilmington, East Sussex by John H. Farrant

The White Horses of the West of England by Rev. W. C. Plenderleath

Hill Figures of England

32 books — 1 voter

The Last Days of the Incas by Kim MacQuarrie

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Ruins and Artifacts

186 books — 45 voters

The Horse, the Wheel, and Language by David W. Anthony

Temples, Tombs & Hieroglyphs by Barbara Mertz

483 books — 182 voters

Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters

The Curse of the Pharaohs by Elizabeth Peters

The Snake, the Crocodile and the Dog by Elizabeth Peters

Archaeology Romance, Mystery, Suspense

291 books — 201 voters

A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson

A Brief History of Time by Stephen W. Hawking

Big History

279 books — 133 voters

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Quotes Tagged “Archaeology”

“ For me archaeology is not a source of illustrations for written texts, but an independent source of historical information, with no less value and importance, sometimes more importance, that the written sources. ”
― Michael I. Rostovtzeff

16 likes

“ I will tell you a little secret about archaeologists, dear Reader. They all pretend t be very high-minded. They claim that their sole aim in excavation is to uncover the mysteries of the past and add to the store of human knowledge. They lie. What they really want is a spectacular discovery, so they can get their names in the newspapers and inspire envy and hatred in the hearts of their rivals. ”
― Elizabeth Peters, The Deeds of the Disturber

27 likes

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