A Brief History of Archeological Method

The study of archaeology goes back to ancient times. One of the first known archaeological expeditions was the excavation of the temple of Shamath at Sipper by Nabonidus, ruler of Babylon from 556 to 539 BC. The findings were displayed in a Babylonian museum after the project was over. Other classical peoples, such as the Greeks and Romans, excavated ancient burial grounds to learn about their own ancestors. After the fall of Rome, however, interest in archaeology waned as the Dark Ages cast a shadow over the past. During the Middle Ages, the study of archaeology came to a halt. History was almost completely based upon the Bible, and many people believed that artifacts that were found had been spontaneously generated by the earth, or placed there by the supernatural.

It was not until the 15th Century that the study of the past was revitalized with the Renaissance. Intellectuals wished to regain the knowledge of Rome and Greece, and wealthy merchants and princes wanted to impress their peers and subjects with artifacts of the past. Some of the earliest major discoveries were the investigations of Pompeii and Herculaneum, which were destroyed by Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD. Egypt had always been alluring, but until the discovery of the Rosetta Stone during the invasion of Napoleon's army, this ancient culture lay silent. During the 16th Century in Europe, megalithic structures, such as Stone Henge, were being studied to determine their purpose. While the Renaissance marked the rebirth of archaeology, it was not until the 19th Century that the field became the science that we now know it as. A. H. Pitt-Rivers was one of the few people responsible for the establishment of archaeology as a scholarly field. Before Pitt-Rivers and others like him, archaeology was more of a treasure hunt than a science.(114kb 424kb) During the mid and late 19th Century, Pitt-Rivers and others demonstrated the importance of cataloging, detailed observation, and long term preservation. He also focused more on small details and artifacts than beautiful or extraordinary findings, because he felt that ordinary things revealed more about the culture than rare items. While big finds are important, the true purpose of archaeology is to discover how ancient people lived. Everyday items, such as pots, tools, children's toys, and weapons, are the important aspects of the general population that archaeologist use to determine what life was like in ancient civilizations. Pitt-Rivers's methods are still used today, and are the standard in the field of archaeology. An important part of archaeology is the order of the past--when a civilization lived in relation to others. To determine this, the "ages" system was used. This system was developed by the ancient Romans, and archaeologists and historians still use it today. The various ages are divided up between three major ones--stone, bronze, and iron. When new civilizations are found, they can be fitted to one of these various ages. Up until this day, the boundaries of these divisions of time are changing with new findings and evidence.(77kb 574kb)

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