What is Archaeology?

Archaeology can be defined as the study of the past. Unlike History, however, archaeology deals more with evidence than record. Archaeologists look for clues to how ancient cultures developed, lived, and died. These ancient civilizations often have no written record, or none has ever been found. The archaeologist must therefore study and reconstruct the past as completely as possible using the given evidence. Artifacts are the heart of archaeology. Artifacts are remnants of the past. These can range from buildings and cities, to clay pots and tools, to mummies and tombs. The archeologist must piece together the clues of the past, using artifacts, documents, and sometimes modern culture and tendencies, to try to form some picture as to what life was like in these ancient cultures. (96kb 371kb)

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