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ARCHAEOLOGISTS
LEARNING ABOUT THE PAST
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• 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.
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• 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.
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• 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.
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• 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.
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• 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.
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• 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.
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• 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
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• 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.
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• 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.