Archaeology

"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."

"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."