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For me, archaeology means a chance to dig a world-class burrow and get some dirt under my claws! Here's what it means for human archaeologists:

What is Archaeology?


Archaeology is the scientific study of human life by looking at things people have left behind. An archaeologist's goal is to find out about the everyday life of people in the past. "Archaeo" means "old", and "logos" means "study" in Greek. Therefore, the word archaeology means the study of ancient things.

Archaeologists study everyday life of the people in the past by looking at artifacts.
An artifact is anything that is made by or used by humans. Archaeologists are like detectives - they both try to solve mysteries. For archaeologists, the mystery may be how old the artifact is, how long ago the people lived, how the people lived, and what the people did. The archaeologist may make a guess about the mystery, and then collect clues. The clues are the artifacts she finds. Then, the archaeologist uses all the clues to try to figure out the mystery.


What archaeology is and isn't
Paleontologists are not archaeologists. Paleontologists primarily study fossils.
Historians are not archaeologists. Historians primarily study written records.
Archaeology is a science that uses specialized tools and methods, while also working with other specialists. Archaeologists are people who enjoy doing a variety of things. Do you like science, history, and solving mysteries? Archaeologists like those, too. Maybe someday you will be an archaeologist.

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