All About Archaeology: From History Sites to Jewelry and Other Artifacts

Archaeology is the science of exploring human history by examining the things people left behind. Archaeologists might study incredibly old fossils from the dawn of humanity, or they could investigate the remnants of modern-day cities. By meticulously analyzing these physical clues, these professionals piece together a clearer picture of how people lived, worked, and interacted with their environment.

Types of Archaeology

The field of archaeology is incredibly broad. Most archaeologists specialize in a specific region or area of study. Some focus on human remains, animal bones, ancient plants, or stone tools. Others use advanced technology to locate, map, and investigate archaeological sites. Underwater archaeologists dive into the past by exploring the remains of human activity below the water's surface, such as sunken ships, or on coasts. And cultural resource management (CRM) archaeologists work to assess and protect historical sites according to the prevailing laws.

While archaeological methods are similar worldwide, its place in academia varies. In the Americas, archaeology is often considered a branch of anthropology, which is the study of humankind. However, in many other parts of the world, it's an independent discipline or falls under the study of history.

• The Subfields of Archaeology
• What Tools Do Archaeologists Use?
• Understanding Cultural Resource Management
• What Do Archaeologists Do?
• Archaeology Tools
• Facts About Underwater Archaeology

Archaeological Sites

Any place where traces of human activity can be found is an archaeological site. One of the most commonly studied types of sites is a prehistoric archaeological site, which was in use before written records were kept. This category can include massive ancient cities, small villages, ancient cemeteries, stone monuments, or tiny campsites. Historical archaeology sites are sites for which written records may exist, including more modern cities, shipwrecks, cemeteries, slave quarters, and battlefields.

• Archaeological Research Process
• Top Ancient Ruins and Archaeological Sites
• Understanding Archaeology and its Research Methods
• The World's Most Important Archaeological Sites
• Historic Archaeology
• How Archaeologists Study the Past
• Standard Form of Archaeological Research

Artifacts, Features, and Ecofacts

Archaeological sites may contain information in different forms. Artifacts are objects that humans made, used, or modified, like tools, bowls, or jewelry. Archaeologists can analyze artifacts to learn about the people who created and used them. Features, another kind of archaeological evidence, are essentially artifacts that are not portable, such as characteristics of the soil that show where a human-made structure once existed. And ecofacts are natural materials left behind by human activity. These can include things like animal bones and plant remains, which can shed light on what people ate and how they obtained their food.

• Archaeological Features and Structure of a Dig Site
• Artifact Versus Feature
• Understanding Ecofacts in Archaeology
• Analytical Techniques Used in Archaeology

Considering Context

In archaeology, context is how artifacts are related to each other and to their environment. When any item is found at an archaeological site, its exact location is recorded before it is removed, which provides important information to help fit the new find into context. Without context, most of the value of the find is lost. For example, in the 1920s, researchers found a spearhead embedded in the rib of a bison from a species that went extinct at the end of the last Ice Age. The spearhead itself wasn't the important part of the discovery, though: It was the fact that it was found in this specific place, in the skeleton of a bison. This proved that humans had lived in this location at the same time as the bison, in the late Pleistocene.

• Discovery of the Ancient Bison Bone Bed
• Context in Archaeology: An Alternative Perspective
• Archaeology and Animal Persons
• Archaeology and Human Evolution
• Archaeology and Environment
• Zooarchaeology and How Animal Bones Provide Context