Concept

Archaeology

Overview

Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscapes. Archaeology can be considered both a social science and a branch of the humanities. It is usually considered an independent academic discipline, but may also be classified as part of anthropology (in North America – the four-field approach), history or geography. The discipline involves surveying, excavation, and eventually analysis of data collected, to learn more about the past. In broad scope, archaeology relies on cross-disciplinary research.

Archaeologists study human prehistory and history, from the development of the first stone tools at Lomekwi in East Africa 3.3 million years ago up until recent decades. Archaeology is distinct from palaeontology, which is the study of fossil remains. Archaeology is particularly important for learning about prehistoric societies, for which, by definition, there are no written records. Prehistory includes over 99% of the human past, from the Paleolithic until the advent of literacy in societies around the world. Archaeology has various goals, ranging from understanding culture history to reconstructing past lifeways to documenting and explaining changes in human societies over time. Derived from Greek, the term archaeology means "the study of ancient history".

Archaeology developed out of antiquarianism in Europe during the 19th century and has since become a discipline practiced worldwide. Nation-states have used archaeology to create particular visions of the past. Since its early development, various specific sub-disciplines of archaeology have developed, including maritime archaeology, feminist archaeology, and archaeoastronomy, and numerous different scientific techniques have been developed to aid archaeological investigation. Nonetheless, today, archaeologists face many problems, such as dealing with pseudoarchaeology, the looting of artifacts, a lack of public interest, and opposition to the excavation of human remains.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).

Possible passages

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1. To "learn geography" is to gain in power to perceive the spatial, the natural, connections of an ordinary act; to "learn history" is essentially to gain in power to recognize its human connections. For what is called geography as a formulated study is simply the body of facts and principles which have been discovered in other men's experience about the natural medium in which we live, and in connection with which…

   John Dewey, Democracy and Education

   States what Archaeology is.

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2. The warrior-class attains a perfect separation from classes devoted to the cultivation of the soil or other occupations regarded as servile. And there arises a priesthood that is defined in its rank, its functions, its privileges. This sharpness of definition, growing both greater and more variously exemplified as societies advance to maturity, is extremest in those that have reached their full development or are…

   Herbert Spencer, First Principles

   States what Archaeology is.

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3. The doctrines of religion are not a subject that one can be clever about, as one can about any other. Our culture is built up on them; the preservation of human society rests on the assumption that the majority of mankind believe in the truth of these doctrines. If they are taught that there is no almighty and all just God, no divine world order, and no future life, then they will feel exempt from all obligation to…

   Sigmund Freud, The future of an illusion

   States what Archaeology is.

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Philosophers who discussed Archaeology

• Jews
• Wilhelm von Humboldt
• Carl Jung
• Grigore Moisil
• Loren Eiseley
• Alison Wylie
• Constantin François Chassebœuf, comte de Volney
• Helle Lambridis
• Georges Chapouthier

Related ideas

• History
• Fossil
• Fresco
• Analysis
• Geology
• Indology
• Internet
• Ancient Greek
• Queer theory
• Academic discipline
• Peru
• South Africa
• Postcolonialism
• Literacy
• Middle Ages
• Geography
• Prehistory
• Marxism
• Culture
• The Guardian
• Johann Joachim Winckelmann
• Mesopotamia
• Hypothesis
• Art history

Opposing perspectives

• Humanities

Place in the tradition

Part of Philosophy of archaeology.

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