What is Archaeology? One of 4 sub-fields
Anthropology
Study of ancient cultures through material remains Artifacts
Aims to explain origins & development of human culture
“Speak to the earth and it shall teach thee”
Why is Archaeology Important?
“History is to society as memory is to the individual.”
Importance:Provides a means to learn about our past
○ True for cultures with and without any written history
“History will be kind to me because I intend to write it” ~Winston Churchill
How Archaeologists Conduct Research
1) Survey Site
2) Excavation Step 1: Remove top soil
Step 2: Site plan
Step 3: Study artifacts
Relative Dating: Determining the Order of Events
Law of Horizontality Layers form horizontally
Law of Superposition Oldest on bottom;
Youngest on top
Law of Association Objects in same layer =
same age