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

Most Read This Week Tagged "Archaeology"

Dinner with King Tut: How Rogue Archaeologists Are Re-creating the Sights, Sounds, Smells, and Tastes of Lost Civilizations

The Ark Files (Eden Black Archaeological Thrillers #1)

A Grave in the Woods (Bruno, Chief of Police #17)

Tomb of the Sun King (Raiders of the Arcana #2)

The Cleopatra Cipher (Adrian West Adventures #1)

Empress of the Nile: The Daredevil Archaeologist Who Saved Egypt's Ancient Temples from Destruction

Charlie Thorne and the Curse of Cleopatra (Charlie Thorne #3)

River Kings: A New History of the Vikings from Scandinavia to the Silk Road

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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

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Lists

Adventure Books with Romance (not the other way)

182 books — 137 voters

Indiana Jones Omnibus, Vol. 1 by William Messner-Loebs

Raiders of the Lost Ark by Walter Simonson

Indiana Jones und die gefiederte Schlange by Wolfgang Hohlbein

Raiders of the Lost Ark #1 by Marvel Comics

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark by Campbell Black

Best of Indiana Jones

40 books — 3 voters

Baal, St. George, and Khidr by Robert D. Miller II

The Werewolf in the Ancient World by Daniel Ogden

Secret Doctrine of Anahuac by Samael Aun Weor

•Bottomless Antiquarium

103 books — 2 voters

Cancel My Subscription by Hershel Shanks

"Archaeology"

179 books — 2 voters

Romancing in the Ruins

10 books — 1 voter

The Secrets of Greystone House by Marcus Attwater

Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters

Adventures in Archaeology

26 books — 19 voters

Featured News & Interviews

Books to Celebrate Black History Month (and Read All Year-Round)

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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

“ Discover how to visit the past and bring yesterday's stories into our lives today ...more ”
― Gillian Hovell, 'Visiting the Past'

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