ARCHAEOLOGISTS

LEARNING ABOUT THE PAST

• Imagine walking across a vast plain where no humans have lived for thousands of years. Yet, at one time, a village existed in that very area. After the village was deserted, the only signs of a civilization are a few ruins and artifacts that were left behind.

• Time passes, and soil covers the site. Within a few centuries, the village becomes hidden. Covered by grass and trees, its secret is covered by layers of earth.

• How do we learn about this village?

• Proof of the village may be uncovered through erosion.

• Erosion can be caused by animals digging for a meal, plants growing and uprooting the soil, or heavy winds and rain.

• Once uncovered, the village site is put into the hands of archaeologists who study the site and record their findings.

• Who are archaeologists? • They are scientist who

want to know what life was like for people who lived long ago.

• They use artifacts (things made or used by people), bones, fossils, and ruins as clues to the past.

• Archaeologists are also usually anthropologists, scientists who study the origin, culture, and values of different peoples.

• Archeologists do research to learn about the people who are believed to have lived in that region.

• They try to find the “Cultural Universals” of this civilization.

• Background of Culture

• Themes

• Economics

• Food, Clothing, Shelter

• Political Organization

• Family and Social Systems

• Attitude Toward the Unknown

• Communications

• Arts and Esthetic Values

• Recreation

• Mythology and Scientific Knowledge

• Archaeologist must use excavation, or digging to examine the site.

• They will measure, dig, sift, and brush away dirt to reveal relics from the past.

• Archaeologists must be patient and careful workers so that fragile and valuable objects are not damaged.

• When archaeologists are excavating a site they often find only a portion of an artifact.

• Frequently, an artifact is broken or was made from material that did not survive the test of time.