The 20th century has been a great blast forward for the science of archaeology. Today's surveying techniques, new electrical and magnetic sensing devices, sonar, aerial photography and infra-red photographs help locate sites and survey them in a more non-invasive way. Lab work has also progressed through the use of x-rays and computers, as well as Carbon-14 and Potassium-Argon dating techniques. Public education regarding archaeology and new finds has increased. For example, National Geographic has produced TV shows, videos and newspaper and magazine articles regarding archaeology. Also, during the 20th century, archaeologists have begun to specialize in different subjects, and new types of archaeology have also developed including industrial, underwater, urban and garbage archaeology. Increased interest in archaeology has led many national and local governments to create laws and establish national parks in order to protect the heritage that is in the soil, as well as respect the culture of the people. Although there have been many technological advances, it is archaeologists such as Leonard Woolley, Thomas Jefferson, William Flinders Petrie and others who built the foundation for current archaeology. Even though much of the technology has improved, archaeologists today still use basic fundamentals like stratigraphy, careful excavation techniques, and exact recording.

Archaeologists in the 20th century have become more exact about where to dig, what they found and how they analyzed it. The science of archaeology has yielded many fascinating finds of the century - ranging from prehistoric to historic, emperors to everyday life. Johan Reinhard and Miguel Zarate discovered the Inca Ice Maiden and were able to keep it frozen on their journey down the mountain. Then, they used lots of technological advances to investigate the remains and the artifacts with it. Through their extensive work from the 1920's through the 1960's, Louis and Mary Leakey have found many remains of early humans throughout east Africa. And while the archaeologists draw attention for the massive 7000 member Terra-Cotta Army in China, many are just as excited by the discovery of a coin found at an urban site near their university. Archaeology has developed into a true science that utilizes the latest technology and scientific methods to learn from and about the past.