Archaeology—A TeaserArchaeology—A Teaser

Do you like to dig?Do you like to dig?

Do you like puzzles?Do you like puzzles?

How can we find out what happened a long time ago?

• We can look at books and writing from the past. We can look at artwork.

• We can look at old houses and tools.

• We can find old bones and pottery.

Where do we find these things?

• Sometimes these things are out in the open.

• Sometimes they are under the sea!

• Often, they are under the ground or sand.

Archaeologists

• People who dig up things from the past are called archaeologistsarchaeologists.

Archaeologists are like detectives.

• They must put together pieces and try to make reasonable guesses.

• They know that all people need food, water, clothing, and shelter.

• They know that most people have a religion. They have art and music.

Artifacts• Anything can be an artifact!

• Artifacts can be bones, tools, pottery, seeds, blankets, mummies, musical instruments, houses…………

Kiva

StratigraphyArtifacts are found at many different levels. Usually thelower the artifact the older it is.

But earthquakes, erosion,human activity and animalscan change this.Stratigraphy Stratigraphy is what scientistscall the examination of artifacts and where they are located ondifferent levels.

Stratigraphy

Finding sites• Archaeologists use many techniques to find

sites.• Old records or stories can help find old

towns and shipwrecks. Depressions or mounds can give clues to burial sites.

• Lots of times new building and excavations for sewers, foundations, and pipelines will dig up old things.

Finding sites

• Today, archaeologists can use satellites and radar to find sites.

• They can use GPS units to exactly measure where artifacts are and their exact measurements.

Tools• But once a site is located, excavation can be

slow and painstaking.

• Tools are often as simple as q-tips, small brushes, and hand shovels.

Archaeology

• Archaeologists solve big and little mysteries about the past.

• They often work long, hot, tiring hours.

• But it is a lot of fun to find old things and put together the puzzles of the past.

Famous Sites• Pompeii

King Tut’s Tomb

King Minos’ Palace (home of the minotaur)

Ur—Abraham’s homeUr—Abraham’s home

Titanic

Ziggurats in the Americas

Egypt

Stonehenge

Cliff-dwellers in North America

L’anse aux Meadows (A Viking settlement)

Custer’s Last Battle

What’s Left to Find?

• As long as people live, there will always be old places to discover and explore.

• Maybe some day you will uncover a clue that will lead you to an exciting find!