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What is an archaeological dig?
It is an area which is slowly, carefully and methodically excavated under the supervision of one or more archaeologists. The goal is to find and preserve historical evidence of former inhabitants, societies and civilizations.
Most areas of the Earth are slowly covered over by accumulated soil, so that it is necessary to dig down to find really old artifacts.
An archaeologist is a scientist and historian who is trained in the location and interpretation of evidence confirming former human habitation.
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What archaeological dig was a Folsom kill site where bison remains were found?
The Lehner/Naco sites in southern Arizona is where the bison remains and arrowheads were found.
How dangerous is archaeology?
As a post grad student of archaeology and someone who has spent several years doing casual yet constant field work, I would have to say archaeology would be considered a relat…ively safe job. This depends on where and when you work. As we work in all environments from out back Australia to the Mexican Jungle. I have a teacher who was once kidnapped in South America by local towns folk as they did not understand he was a professor of archaeology, they thought he was a thief :)
What had apparently prevented archaeological digging at the supposed site of james fort?
Until 1996, It had been thought that James Fort had been built on the swampy edge of the James River.
What are Archaeological Sources?
Archaeological sources are the primary fact or evidence supporting a theory or belief. A source could be written testimony of an event, occasion or ceremony, …recorded at the same time (for example carvings on the wall of a tomb, the Bayeux Tapestry etc). A source can be physical collected evidence that can be scientifically validated, such a bones which can be carbon dated. A secondary source would be a second hand account of an event, while these are still considered valuable (especially if there are a number of independent ones that can corroborate an event) they are always open to interpretation. A classic example of this is The Iliad, by Homer, which recorded second hand accounts of the Trojan War and wove them into a story. In modern history it could be a photo, film, recording or even an interview.
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What is interpretative archaeology?
Interpretative archaeology is one of the latest trends regarding Archaeological Theory (i.e. the way we view archaeological data, the methodology and theoretical background th…at affects our explanations and understanding... anyway it's complicated). Interpretativearchaeology is also known as Post-processual archaeology (i.e. Postmodern) but some might tend to separate them although boundaries between the two are vague. It is a trend that is "against" (actually) but also complementary to (as many leading archaeologists argue) to the previous trend, known as processual archaeology. It appeared in the late 80s - early 90s.
What is archaeology?
Archaeology is the study of material remains related to the human past. Such remains include monumental structures such as the pyramids of Egypt, to microscopic plant frag…ments retrieved from ancient soils. Archaeological research is undertaken on recent historical remains to supplement the written record, or on the prehistoric evidence of human culture where no other record exists. Archaeological methods are applied everywhere in the world where people have left remains behind, which for all practical purposes is anywhere on earth. From the buildings and other cultural artifacts left behind by the first Antarctic expeditions, to fossilized remains revealing the earliest human origins in Africa, archaeology provides a window into man's cultural past. Archaeology is also the study of past human populations, their lifestyle and their culture through material remains. The official definition for the word "archaeology" is "the study of human history and prehistory through the excavation of sites and the analysis of artifacts and other physical remains."
Why is archaeology important?
Archaeology is the study of human culture in historic as well as pre-historic times, by examining the material remains of early human settlements. These material remains may r…ange from human or plant fossils to excavated artifacts or ruins of an old building. A broad study of human culture, archaeology is often regarded as a subset of anthropology. Archaeology is an elaborated process, which starts with a detailed study and surveying of a particular area to ascertain sites, with possible human settlements in the past. The site is then excavated to recover material remains. After classification, this unearthed matter is analyzed and interpreted to reconstruct historical events. The archaeologist has to be very careful with the handling aspect of the 'unearthed matter'. Its documentation is of great importance, as the amount of information derived from it can be beneficial in terms of quality as well as quantity. Why is Archaeology Important Archaeology helps us to travel back into time to get valuable information about the human settlements which existed centuries ago. It throws light on the cultural history of various countries and answers various questions about the lifestyles of people who lived in that part of the world. It has also helped to ascertain the chronology of the pre-historic times. In the Indian sub-continent, archaeological excavations unearthed the Indus Valley Civilization which flourished between 2600 - 1900 BC. The excavations, which started in 1920, opened the door to a human settlement which was far more evolved and scientifically advanced; characterized with well planned cities and well-developed network of trade routes. Archaeological investigations also prove to be useful in understanding some mysterious subjects; such as Egyptian religion, and the cultural life of some communities which were invisible at a point of time. Most importantly it can answer the questions and fill the loopholes in history. It can give a brief idea about the changes which occurred over a period of time as well as the factors which were responsible for them. The importance of archaeology has led to its categorization into various sub-divisions. While historical archaeology includes the study of cultures, the underwater archaeology is a study of the remains of any human activity, found in the bed of a water body. The latter has also helped in collecting information of the cities which were submerged under water. The recent development of 'salvage archaeology' and 'urban archaeology' has increased the quantity of data that can be possibly obtained from excavation sites. Archaeology is dependent on other sciences and social sciences, like chemistry, geology, zoology etc in terms of data collection. When an object is recovered from excavation site an archaeologist can use chemistry to determine its age, while botany or zoology can provide information about the surroundings where it was found. It's an important aid in reconstructing the prehistoric era, about which not much is known due to absence of written records. The material remains of this era included carvings on the walls of caves, artifacts like pottery, weapons used to hunt animals for food etc. Even after writing was developed, written records which were maintained were highly biased and largely based on assumptions. In such cases, archaeology helps to prove the authenticity of written records. Archaeology can also contribute to rewriting history. When researchers found thousands of pieces of red slip pottery in the ancient city of Pompeii, the role of this civilization in trade and commerce of Mediterranean region was altered. Earlier, it was assumed that the people from Pompeii imported pottery from other settlements but this find proved that the people of Pompeii used local pottery too.
Who invented archaeology?
Heinrich Schliemann
Antonym of archaeology?
the opposite is futureology.
What is archaeological evidence?
Archaeological evidence is not just a stele, piece of pottery or foundation of an ancient building. It is also provenance, context and analysis. Provenance includes evidence …of the exact location where a find was made, with its removal preferably witnessed by reliable persons. This is particularly important for Near Eastern finds, because of the potential monetary value and the opportunity for religiously inspired misrepresentation. Knowing the exact location of the find enables archaeologists to place it in context with other finds in terms of age and influence. Much more can be ascertained by looking at sherds of pottery in situ than by looking at the same material displayed in a museum. Analysis can include carbon dating, microscopic, ultra-morphological, chemical, mineralogical or microbiological analysis. Paleographers can date the letters in an inscription by their shape, while language experts can provide an opinion on whether the language is appropriate for the time at which the object is otherwise dated. The flip side of archaeological evidence is archaeological fraud. Professor Eric Meyers of Duke University said, "Estimates are running as high as 30 or 40 percent of all inscribed materials in the Israel Museum [in Jerusalem] have been forged."
Fei Chen
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What does archaeology study?
archaes
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In Archaeology
What is new archaeology?
I've written about a couple recent finds in the archaeology world, an ancient island has been found in Central Mexico that may shed light on life in the area over a peri…od of 2000 years and in June 2009 the oldest example of architecture in Britain was unearthed near Stonehenge in the shape of 6000 year old burial chambers.
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In Archaeology
Is there math in archaeology?
Archaeology involves a variety of activities and many of these do require maths although to varrying degrees. The most important area is probably statistics as this… is essential to interpreting and representing any form of data that you obtain as an archaeologist. There are also various specialized areas within archaeology that involve very complex mathematical calculations, such as in the area of dating.
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In Archaeology
What happens at an archaeological dig site?
People dig up fossils. POLARBEARS12: Why are you asking this?...
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How do you spell archaeological?
Archaeological, at least in Britain and Commonwealth, and in academia.
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In Pokemon
When and where did you dig?
In Pokemon red/blue, You should be able to grab Dig(TM28) in Cerulean City in a storyline fight, and you can teach dig to Diglett (common) or Dugtrio (rare) in Diglett's cave,… if they don't already have it. Use dig when you're about to get hit by an attack that's charging. Also, use dig right before a Pokemon self-destructs, and it will always 100% miss while you're using dig. You'll get full experience points.