"Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture."
The study of past human societies, including their cultures, languages, and physical remains.
Introduction to Archaeology: An overview of the history, goals, and methods of archaeology, including the types of archaeological evidence and how archaeologists interpret that evidence.
Prehistoric Archaeology: Study of human activity before written records.
Historic Archaeology: Study of human activity with written records.
Archaeological Excavation: The physical removal of archaeological materials from the ground to study and interpret.
Archaeological Survey: The systematic study of an area to identify and record archaeological sites and features.
Cultural Resource Management: The preservation of archaeological sites in the face of development or other threats.
Archaeological Theory: The theoretical approaches used to interpret and understand archaeological evidence.
Archaeological Ethics: A set of guidelines for the ethical conduct of archaeological research and the treatment of archaeological materials and sites.
Bioarchaeology: The study of human remains to understand past civilizations, cultures, and societies.
Environmental Archaeology: The study of the interaction between humans and their environment in the past.
Lithic Analysis: The study of stone tools and lithic technology.
Zooarchaeology: The study of animal remains to understand past human-animal interactions.
Experimental Archaeology: The use of experimental methods to test hypotheses about past human behavior and technology.
Archaeological Dating Techniques: Methods used to determine the age of archaeological materials, including radiocarbon dating, dendrochronology, and seriation.
Archaeological Conservation: The preservation and restoration of archaeological materials for future study and public display.
Archaeological Public Outreach: The communication of archaeological research and its findings to the public.
"The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscapes."
"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."
"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 paleontology, 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, which range from understanding culture history to reconstructing past lifeways to documenting and explaining changes in human societies through time."
"Derived from the Greek, the term archaeology literally means 'the study of ancient history.'"
"The discipline involves surveying, excavation, and eventually analysis of data collected, to learn more about the past."
"Archaeology developed out of antiquarianism in Europe during the 19th century and has since become a discipline practiced around the world."
"Archaeology has been used by nation-states to create particular visions of the past."
"Various specific sub-disciplines of archaeology have developed, including maritime archaeology, feminist archaeology, and archaeoastronomy."
"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."