Archaeology
Archaeology, (sometimes spelled archeology outside the U.S.) is one of the four sub-fields of anthropology. Archaeology studies human cultures through the recovery, documentation, and analysis of material remains and environmental data, including architecture, artifacts, biofacts, human remains, and landscapes. While there are numerous goals pertaining to its various sub-disciplines, the main goal of archaeology is to create the most thorough understanding of how and why both historical and prehistoric people lived, to understand the evolution of human society and civilizations, and to use knowledge of our ancestor’s history to discover insights into our modern day societies [1]
History
Archaeology as a discipline is of fairly recent origin, although man has always been fascinated with his own cultural history. Until the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, such fascination was relegated to speculation, curiosity, and plundering of ancient treasures. Kings and princes valued themselves according to the size and variety of rare antiquities that they collected, while professional thieves made a living from raiding tombs and monuments for bounty that they could sell.
The intellectual value of such artifacts was often overshadowed by their pleasing aesthetic and monetary worth, and thus the activity was basically art collecting. Even when articacts were appreciated for their cultural significance, there was no way to fully analyze them for they were out of context and adequate scientific techniques and processes were not available. Still, such curiosity and passion for the physical remains of the past were the essential origins of archaeology.
It was not until the realization that careful scientific observation and analysis joined with the curiosity for human biological and cultural remains could indeed provide a deeper understanding of the past, that the discipline of archaeology began to be formulated. One of the first to undertake a carefully detailed excavation in order to test popular belief about history was Thomas Jefferson. Challenging the pre-conceived notions of the early American society about the indigenous peoples of the continent, Jefferson excavated a burial mound and, through detailed observation, came to conclusions that later proved accurate [2]
Yet, archaeology as a serious academic discipline would not emerge until the end of the nineteenth century, the by-product of a number of scientific discoveries and new theories. The discovery that the earth was older than previously understood, and therefore that man had been around longer than the established timeframe of the Bible, spurred scientific curiosity in exploring human origins. Similarly, Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of the Species (1859) introduced the theory of evolution, inciting a furor of academic debate and research. More important for archaeology was C.J. Thomsen’s establishment of the "Three Age System," in which man’s history was categorized into three eras based on technological advancement: the Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age. The chronological history of man became an exciting academic field, coupled with the first findings of the ancient civilizations. Soon, teams of early archaeologists were working around the world, discovering long lost ruins and cities [3].
Archaeology as it is known today took form in the 1960s, when a number of academics, most notably Lewis Binford, proposed a "new archaeology," which would be more "scientific" and "anthropological," using hypothesis testing and scientific methods, such as the newly established dating tests, as well as focusing upon the social aspects of the findings. Archaeology became less focused on categorizing, and more on understanding how the evolution of civilization came about, later being dubbed “processual archaeology.”
In the 1980s, a new movement arose, led by the British archaeologists Michael Shanks, Christopher Tilley, Daniel Miller, and Ian Hodder, questioning processualism's appeals to science and impartiality and emphasizing the importance of relativism, becoming known as post-processual archaeology. However, their approach has been criticized by processualists as lacking scientific rigor. The validity of both processualism and post-procuessualism is still under debate.
Archaeology as an Academic Discipline
As a sub-discipline of anthropology, archaeology has become a major academic field throughout the world, with most major universities hosting various labs and research facilities. It has become distinct from history in that it relies on scientific testing and techniques to determine the validity of theories. It has proven its significance in the academic world by filling in major gaps in our understanding of human history, where written records are either incomplete, biased, damaged, missing, or in the eras of prehistory before writing even existed.
The field has evolved widely since its humble begins, and now incorporates a number of other disciplines and theories into its practice, such as neo-Darwinian evolutionary thought, phenomenology, postmodernism, agency theory, cognitive science, Functionalism, gender-based, and Feminist archaeology, and Systems theory to name a few.
Over the years archaeology itself has been broken down into sub-disciplines, typically characterized by a focus on a specific method or type of material, geographical or chronological focus, or other thematic concern. These sub-disciplines include Assyriology (Mesopotamia), Phoeniciology (Phoenicia), Classical archaeology (Greece and Rome), and Egyptology (Egypt).
The other main division of archaeology is into historical archaeology, which examines civilisations that left behind written records and prehistoric archaeology, which concerns itself with societies that did not have writing systems. However, the term is generally valid only in Europe and Asia where literate societies emerged without colonial influence. In areas where literacy arrived relatively late, it is more convenient to use other terms to divide up the archaeological record. In areas of semi-literacy the term protohistoric archaeology can be adopted to cover the study of societies with very limited written records. One example of a protohistoric site is Fort Ross on the northern California coast, which included settlements of literate Russians and non-literate American Indians and Alaska natives.
Ethnoarchaeology is the study of modern societies resembling extinct ones of archaeological interest, for archaeological purposes. It is often difficult to infer solid conclusions about the structure and values of ancient societies from their material remains, not only because objects are mute and say little about those who crafted and used them, but also because not all objects survive to be uncovered by scholars of a later age. Ethnoarchaeology seeks to determine, for instance, what kinds of objects used in a living settlement are deposited in middens or other places where they may be preserved, and how likely an object is to be discarded near to the place where it was used.
Taphonomy is the study of how objects decay and degrade over time. This information is critical to the interpretation of artefacts and other objects, so that the work of ancient people can be differentiated from the later work of living creatures and elemental forces.
A selective list of sub-disciplines distinguished by time period or region of study is given below.
- African archaeology, Archaeology of the Americas, Australian archaeology, European archaeology: focuses on archaeologic study concerning the location of the findings.
- Industrial archaeology focuses on the preservation of material relics of the Industrial Revolution.
- Near Eastern archaeology (sometimes known as Middle Eastern archaeology). See also Biblical archaeology, which applies the results of Near Eastern archaeology to the study of the Bible.
- Medieval archaeology is the study of post-Roman European archaeology until the sixteenth century.
- Post-medieval archaeology is the study of material culture in Europe from the 16th century onwards.
- Modern archaeology is the study of modern society using archaeological methods, e.g. the Tucson Garbage Project.
The following is a list of other sub-disciplines. Some of these are not areas of study in their own right, and are only methods to be used in larger projects.
- Aerial archaeology studying sites from air photos, especially by identifying cropmarks
- Archaeoastronomy is the study of the relationship between the configuration of ancient monuments and astronomy.
- Archaeological science or Archaeometry is the application of scientific techniques or methodologies to archaeology such as radiocarbon dating, statistics and remote sensing.
- Archaeozoology is the study of animal remains in human settlements.
- Archaeobotany or paleoethnobotany is the study of human-plant interaction in the archaeological record.
- Computational archaeology is the application of computers, particularly GIS, to archaeology
- Experimental archaeology involves attempting to re-enact past processes to test theories about ancient manufacturing, engineering and the effects of time on sites and objects (for example flint-knapping)
- Environmental archaeology studies the long-term relationship between humans and their environments.
- Forensic archaeology is the application of archaeological techniques to criminal investigations. It has become particularly prominent in the investigation of mass-killings associated with war crimes.
- Landscape archaeology involves identifying and studying sites as components in a wider geographical area.
- Maritime archaeology is the study of submerged archaeological sites, including shipwrecks as well as settlements that have been engulfed by bodies of water.
- Museum studies is the display and interpretation of past remains for the public.
- Paleopathology is the study of ancient disease amongst animals and humans.
There are also a wide variety of techniques used for post-excavation analysis.
Methodology
Survey
Surveying was not widely practiced in the early days of archaeology. Cultural historians and prior researchers were usually content with discovering the locations of monumental sites from the local populace, and excavating only the plainly visible features there. Gordon Willey pioneered the technique of regional settlement pattern survey in 1949 in the Viru Valley of coastal Peru, and survey of all levels became prominent with the rise of processual archaeology some years later. Today surveying is a required pre-requisite for most archaeological projects.
Survey work has many benefits if performed as a preliminary exercise to, or even in place of, excavation. It requires relatively little time and expense, because it does not require processing large volumes of soil to search out artifacts. (Nevertheless, surveying a large region or site can be expensive, so archaeologists often employ sampling methods as a supplement to a full survey) It avoids ethical issues (of particular concern to descendant peoples) associated with destroying a site through excavation. It is the only way to gather some forms of information, such as settlement patterns and settlement structure. Additionally, the data gathered about the surrounding area is often used to develop regional theories and assembled into maps, which may show surface features and/or artifact distribution on a larger scale.
There are two types of surveys: Regional survey attempts to systematically locate previously unknown sites in a region, while Site survey is the attempt to systematically locate features of interest, such as houses and middens, within a particular site.
The simplest survey technique is surface survey. It involves combing an area, usually on foot but sometimes with the use of mechanised transport, to search for features or artefacts visible on the surface. Surface survey cannot detect sites or features that are completely buried under earth, or overgrown with vegetation. Surface survey may also include mini-excavation techniques such as augers, corers, and shovel test pits.
Aerial survey is conducted using cameras attached to aircraft, balloons, or even kites. A bird's-eye view is useful for quick mapping of large or complex sites. Aerial imaging can also detect many things not visible from the surface. Plants growing above a stone structure, such as a wall, will develop more slowly, while those above other types of features (such as middens) may develop more rapidly. Photographs of ripening grain, which changes colour rapidly at maturation, have revealed buried structures with great precision. Aerial survey also employs infrared, ground-penetrating radar wavelengths, and thermography.
Geophysical survey is the most effective way to see beneath the ground. Magnetometers detect minute deviations in the Earth's magnetic field caused by iron artefacts, kilns, some types of stone structures, and even ditches and middens. Devices that measure the electrical resistivity of the soil are also widely used. Most soils are moist below the surface, which gives them a relatively low resistivity. Features such as hard-packed floors or concentrations of stone have a higher resistivity.
Although some archaeologists consider the use of metal detectors to be tantamount to treasure hunting, others deem them an effective tool in archaeological surveying. Examples of formal archaeological use of metal detectors include musketball distribution analysis on English Civil War battlefields, metal distribution analysis prior to excavation of a nineteenth century ship wreck, and service cable location during evaluation. Metal detectorists have also contributed to the archaeological record where they have made detailed records of their results and refrained from raising artifacts from their archaeological context. In the UK, metal detectorists have been solicited for involvement in the Portable Antiquities Scheme.
Regional survey in maritime archaeology uses side-scan sonar.
Excavation
Archaeological excavation existed even when the field was still the domain of amateurs, and it remains the source of the majority of data recovered in most field projects. It can reveal several types of information usually not accessible to survey, such as stratigraphy, three-dimensional structure, and verifiably primary context.
Archaeological excavation existed even when the field was still the domain of amateurs, and it remains the source of the majority of data recovered in most field projects. It can reveal several types of information usually not accessible to survey, such as stratigraphy, three-dimensional structure, and verifiably primary context.
Stratigraphy refers to the horizontal layers of sediment that accumulate, one on top of the other, over time. When digging into the ground, a cross section of the stratigraphy is visible, each layer representing a period of time (the earliest being the farthest down). In addition to helping create a workable time frame, the composition of each deposit can reveal a great deal about the climate and environment of the time.
Modern excavation techniques require that the precise locations of objects and features, known as their provenance or provenience, be recorded. This always involves determining their horizontal locations, and sometimes vertical positions as well within the ground’s stratigraphy. Similarly, their association, or relationship with nearby objects and features, are recorded and can help determine certain information. For example, if two objects were found at one site, but in different layers of deposits, it may be determined that the site was inhabited more than once during the course of history, and perhaps not by the same people.
Excavation is the most expensive phase of archaeological research. Also, as a destructive process, it carries ethical concerns. As a result, very few sites are excavated in their entirety. Sampling is even more important in excavation than in survey. It is common for large mechanical equipment, such as backhoes (JCBs), to be used in excavation, especially to remove the topsoil (overburden), though this method is increasingly used with great caution. Following this rather dramatic step, the exposed area is usually hand-cleaned with trowels or hoes to ensure that all features are apparent.
The next task is to form a site plan and then use it to help decide the method of excavation. Features dug into the natural subsoil are normally excavated in portions in order to produce a visible archaeological section for recording. Scaled plans and sections of individual features are all drawn on site, black and white and colour photographs of them are taken, and recording sheets are filled in describing the context of each. All this information serves as a permanent record of the now-destroyed archaeology and is used in describing and interpreting the site.
Post-Excavation Analysis
Once artefacts and structures have been excavated, or collected from surface surveys, it is necessary to properly study them, to gain as much data as possible. This process is known as post-excavation analysis, and is normally the most time-consuming part of the archaeological investigation. It is not uncommon for the final excavation reports on major sites to take years to be published.
At it’s most basic, the artifacts found are cleaned, catalogued and compared to published collections, in order to classify them typologically and to identify other sites with similar artifact assemblages. However, a much more comprehensive range of analytical techniques are available through archaeological science, meaning that artifacts can be dated and their compositions examined. Additionally, non-cultural remains found at the site, such as the remains of plants and pollen samples can be analyzed to determine a variety of information about the environment at the time (using the techniques of zooarchaeology, paleoethnobotany, and palynology).
These techniques frequently provide information that would not otherwise be known and therefore contribute greatly to the understanding of a site.
Cultural Resource Management (CRM)
Cultural resources management, or CRM refers to a body of legislation and governmental agencies that actively take part in archaeological research and preservation in the United States. Such legislation as the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and The Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979 require funding for the management and preservation of archaeological sites and artifacts. Such agencies as the National Forest Department, The Department of the Interior, The Army Corp of Engineers and the National Historical Society all have archaeological units that deal with sites and artifacts.
Among the goals of CRM are the identification, preservation, and maintenance of cultural sites on public and private lands, and the removal of culturally valuable materials from areas where they would otherwise be destroyed by human activity, such as proposed construction. This study involves at least a cursory examination to determine whether or not any significant archaeological sites are present in the area affected by the proposed construction. If these do exist, time and money must be allotted for their excavation. If initial survey and/or test excavation indicates the presence of an extraordinarily valuable site, the construction may be prohibited entirely. CRM is a thriving entity, especially in the United States and Europe where archaeologists from private companies and all levels of government engage in the practice of their discipline.
Cultural resources management has, however, been criticized. CRM is conducted by private companies that bid for projects by submitting proposals outlining the work to be done and an expected budget. It is not unheard-of for the agency responsible for the construction to simply choose the proposal that asks for the least funding. CRM archaeologists face considerable time pressure, often being forced to complete their work in a fraction of the time that might be allotted for a purely scholarly endeavor.
In England, the English Heritage Agency determines sites that hold historical and archaeological importance and determine if and when such sites may be developed. Similar programs exist in Denmark, Australia and New Zealand, but more stringent legislation governs Greece, in which whole construction projects have been abandoned because of archaeological findings [4].
Ethical Issues
Psuedo-Archaeology
Pseudo-archaeology is an umbrella term for all activities that claim to be archaeological but in fact violate commonly accepted archaeological practices. Pop cultural representations of archaeology, such as The Indiana Jones films and Erich von Daniken’s Chariots of the Gods (1968) may be enjoyable works of fiction and drama, but fail to accurately portray the painstaking, rigors of actual archaeological work. More insidious are the amateur archaeologists who deduce and propose theories based on inaccurate information or a distortion of the work of real academics. Such pseudo-archaeology tends to expound opinions that have little or no basis in fact, producing controversy in the public and negating the hard work of archaeologists who rely on scientific tests and practice to accurately understand and evaluate past cultures
Looting
Looting of archaeological sites by people in search of hoards of buried treasure is an ancient problem. For instance, many of the tombs of the Egyptian pharaohs were looted in antiquity. The advent of archaeology has made ancient sites objects of great scientific and public interest, but it has also attracted unwelcome attention to the works of past peoples. A brisk commercial demand for artifacts encourages looting and the illicit antiquities trade, which smuggles items abroad to private collectors. Looters damage the integrity of a historic site, deny archaeologists valuable information that would be learnt from excavation, and are often deemed to be robbing local people of their heritage.
The popular consciousness often associates looting with poor Third World countries. Many are former homes to many well-known ancient civilizations but lack the financial resources or political will to protect even the most significant sites. Certainly, the high prices that intact objects can command relative to a poor farmer's income make looting a tempting financial proposition for some local people. However, looting has taken its toll in places as rich and populous as the United States and Western Europe as well. Abandoned towns of the ancient Sinagua people of Arizona, clearly visible in the desert landscape, have been destroyed in large numbers by treasure hunters. Sites in more densely populated areas farther east have also been looted. Where looting is proscribed by law it takes place under cover of night, with the metal detector a common instrument used to identify profitable places to dig.
Descendant People and Repatriation
The central ethical question facing modern archaeologists, especially in the United States, is how to remain respectful of the descendants who those you are studying. For years, American archaeologists dug on Indian burial grounds and other places considered sacred, removing artifacts and human remains to storage facilities for further study. In some cases human remains were not even thoroughly studied but instead archived rather than reburied. Furthermore, Western archaeologists' views of the past often differ from those of tribal peoples. The West views time as linear; for many natives, it is cyclic. From a Western perspective, the past is long-gone; from a native perspective, disturbing the past can have dire consequences in the present. To an archaeologist, the past is long-gone and must be reconstructed through its material remains; to indigenous peoples, it is often still alive.
As a consequence of this, American Indians attempted to prevent archaeological excavation of sites inhabited by their ancestors, while American archaeologists believed that the advancement of scientific knowledge was a valid reason to continue their studies. This contradictory situation was addressed by the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA, 1990), which sought to reach a compromise by limiting the right of research institutions to possess human remains. Due in part to the spirit of postprocessualism, some archaeologists have begun to actively enlist the assistance of indigenous peoples likely to be descended from those under study.
While this cooperation presents a new set of challenges and hurdles to fieldwork, it has benefits for all parties involved. Tribal elders cooperating with archaeologists can prevent the excavation of areas of sites that they consider sacred, while the archaeologists gain the elders' aid in interpreting their discoveries. There have also been active efforts to recruit aboriginal peoples directly into the archaeological profession.
A new trend in the heated controversy between First Nations groups and scientists is the repatriation of native artifacts to the original descendants. An example of this occurred June 21, 2005, when a community members and elders from a number of the 10 Algonquian nations in the Ottawa area convened on the Kitigan Zibi reservation in Kanawagi, Quebec, to inter ancestral human remains and burial goods — some dating back 6,000 years. [1]
The Kennewick Man discovery in Washington State in 1996 showed that even with governmental regulations, tensions still exist between archaeologists/anthropologists. Certainly the study and understanding of our origins is an extremely important, but it should never impede on the strong held beliefs of others, for than archaeology is no better than pseudo-archaeologists.
Significant Archaeological Discoveries
- Pompeii (1710): The Prince of Elboeuf made the initial exploration of the city, but it was not for another hundred years until the entire site was systematically mapped and examined.
- The Rosetta Stone (1799): Discovered by Napoleon’s army in Egypt, French academic Jean-Francois Champollion used the text as a basis for the first translations of the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.
- City of Ur (1854): J. E. Taylor discovered and excavated Ur, one of the largest Sumerian cities ever constructed, in what is now present day Iraq.
- Ruins of Troy (1871): Discovered by German millionaire Heinrich Schliemann, proving that the legendary city of Homer was an actual, historical location.
- Machu Picchu (1911): Ancient city located in high Andes, found by Hiram Bingham, was one of the first intact South American ruins to be discovered.
- The Tomb of Tutankhamen (1922): Discovered by Howard Carter and Lord Canarvon, it was the first royal tomb in Egypt to be found intact, un-pillaged by grave robbers.
- Olduvai Gorge (1930): The legendary Leakey couple of Anthropological fame, Mary and Louis, discover stone tools that date to over 1.8 million years ago.
- Xi'an Terracotta Warriors and Horses (1974): Chinese peasants came across the remains of thousands of terracotta statues from the reign of Qin Shi Huang, China’s first emperor. When archaeologists were finished excavating, they had discovered thousands of statues, making it the most plentiful site ever studied.
- Red Bay Wreck (1977): Archaeologist James A. Tuck performed one of the first underwater excavations, discovering a lost 16th century Spanish whaling ship, pioneering important underwater techniques.
- Ngarrabullgan Cave (1991): Bruno David’s discovery of Aborigine inhabitation pushed the inhabitation of Australia back to forty thousand years ago.
Footnotes
- ↑ Renfrew, Colin, Bahn, Paul. Archaeology: Theories, Methods and Practice. 3rd ed. New York: Thames and Hudson, 2000. Page 15-16
- ↑ Renfrew, Colin, Bahn, Paul. Archaeology: Theories, Methods and Practice. 3rd ed. New York: Thames and Hudson, 2000. Page 21
- ↑ Renfrew, Colin, Bahn, Paul. Archaeology: Theories, Methods and Practice. 3rd ed. New York: Thames and Hudson, 2000. Page 25-34
- ↑ Renfrew, Colin, Bahn, Paul. Archaeology: Theories, Methods and Practice. 3rd ed. New York: Thames and Hudson, 2000. Page 548
External links
- Archeologia belga The Alphabetical of Archaeology. French Archaeology.
- Archaeology News Current News and Information pertaining to all areas of archaeology, plus free news feeds for webmasters.
- North Pacific Prehistory is an academic journal specialising in Northeast Asian and North American archaeology.
- Excavation Sites Archaeological work and volunteer pages.
- Archaeology in Popular Culture
- Anthropology Resources on the Internet - Anthropology Resources on the Internet : a web directory, part of the WWW Virtual Library, with over 4000 links grouped in specialised topics.
- Archaeology magazine published by the Archaeological Institute of America
- Archaeology Directory - Directory of archaeological topics on the web.
- The 2003- Iraq War & Archaeology Information about looting in Iraq.
- Philosophy and the New Archaeology, an essay at the Galilean Library on the philosophical underpinnning of archaeology and the debate over the New Archaeology.
- Southern African Humanities - Vehicle for human science and heritage research of an archaeological, anthropological and historical nature.
- WWW VL African Archaeology - The african archaeology portal, part of the WWW Virtual Library : all the web sites relating to african archaeology are listed here.
Further reading
- Ashmore, W. and Sharer, R. J., Discovering Our Past: A Brief Introduction to Archaeology Mountain View: Mayfield Publishing Company. ISBN 076741196X. This has also been used as a source.
- Maniscalco, Fabio (ed.), Web Journal on Cultural Patrimony
- Neumann, Thomas W. and Robert M. Sanford, Practicing Archaeology: A Training Manual for Cultural Resources Archaeology Rowman and Littlefield Pub Inc, August, 2001, hardcover, 450 pages, ISBN 0759100942
- Renfrew, Colin & Bahn, Paul G., Archaeology: Theories, Methods and Practice, Thames and Hudson, 4th edition, 2004. ISBN 0500284415
- Sanford, Robert M. and Thomas W. Neumann, Cultural Resources Archaeology: An Introduction, Rowman and Littlefield Pub Inc, December, 2001, trade paperback, 256 pages, ISBN 0759100950
- Trigger, Bruce. 1990. "A History of Archaeological Thought". Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521338182
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