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Archaeology Definition

Archaeology is the study of human cultures through the recovery and analysis of material remains and artifacts. It aims to understand past societies and explain how they developed. Archaeologists uncover evidence like tools, buildings, bones, and artworks to learn about daily life and social relationships. Important findings include stone tools, pottery, and food waste. Pottery provides especially rich insights, as its forms and decorations reveal cultural practices and worldviews.

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1K views2 pages

Archaeology Definition

Archaeology is the study of human cultures through the recovery and analysis of material remains and artifacts. It aims to understand past societies and explain how they developed. Archaeologists uncover evidence like tools, buildings, bones, and artworks to learn about daily life and social relationships. Important findings include stone tools, pottery, and food waste. Pottery provides especially rich insights, as its forms and decorations reveal cultural practices and worldviews.

Uploaded by

Arya Lakshmi
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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A.

Archaeology definition

Definition – Archaeology, archeology, or archæology (from the Greek words αρχαίος = ancient and λόγος =
word/speech/discourse) is the study of human cultures through the recovery, documentation and analysis of material
remains and environmental data, including architecture, artifacts, biofacts, human remains, and landscapes

 The scientific study of the physical evidence of past human societies recovered through
the excavation. Archaeologists not only attempt to discover and describe past cultures,
but to explain the development of these cultures.
 Archaeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture.
The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts and cultural landscapes.
Archaeology can be considered both a social science and a branch of the humanities.
 Archaeology Archaeology is the study of the remains of the past. Archaeologists locate and uncover sources of
evidence of past peoples.
This can include
• skeletal remains
• the ruins of buildings and tombs
• artefacts they made such as pottery, weapons, tools and coins
• Inscriptions and stone carving
• Rubbish dumps (middens)
B, Important archaeological findings and their significance
The discipline of archaeology is by no means a simple nor singular study of the past. Due to the wide range of evidence within the
archaeological findings, from organic to inorganic. organic material – wood, cloth, leather, basketry, paper: inorganic – stone
construction – stone or metal tools – pottery – patterns on the land. The archaeological findings are the body of physical (not
written) evidence about the past. Archaeological theory is used to interpret the archaeological findings for a better understanding of
human cultures. The archaeological record can consist of the earliest ancient findings as well as contemporary artifacts. Human
activity has had a large impact on the archaeological findings. The archaeological finding is the physical record of
human prehistory and history, of why ancient civilizations prospered or failed and why those cultures changed and grew. It is the
story of the human world. The archaeological findings like stone tools, pottery vessels, metal objects such as weapons, and items of
personal adornment such as buttons, jewelry and clothing. Bones that show signs of human modification are also examples. Natural
objects, such as fire cracked rocks from a hearth or plant material used for food.
A stone tool is, in the most general sense, any tool made either partially or entirely out of stone. Although stone tool-dependent
societies and cultures still exist today, most stone tools are associated with prehistoric cultures that have become
extinct. Archaeologists often study such prehistoric societies, and refer to the study of stone tools as lithic
analysis. Ethnoarchaeology has been a valuable research field in order to further the understanding and cultural implications of
stone tool use and manufacture. Stone has been used to make a wide variety of different tools throughout history, including arrow
heads, spearpoints and querns.

Pottery is the process of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other ceramic materials, which are fired at high
temperatures to give them a hard, durable form. Major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such
wares are made by a potter is also called a pottery. Pottery is originating before the Neolithic period. The discovery of pottery on an
archaeological sight is a discovery of great importance. Pottery tells many stories of how it was made and who made it. It also goes further
than this and can tell a great deal about the people involved in its production. The study of pottery is without doubt one of the most important
tasks taken on by any archaeologist. A great wealth of information can be gained from the study of pottery, despite its inanimate state. It is
for this very reason that this essay will attempt to explore and explain the multitude of study that archaeologists apply to pottery.
For archaeologists, the study of pottery can help to provide an insight into past cultures. Pottery is durable & fragments often
survive long after artefacts made from less-durable materials have decayed past recognition. Combined with other evidence, the
study of pottery artefacts is helpful in the development of theories on the organisation, economic condition & the cultural
development of the societies that produced or acquired pottery. The study of pottery may also allow inferences to be drawn about a
culture's daily life, religion, social relationships, attitudes towards neighbours, attitudes to their own world and even the way the
culture understood the universe.The forms of pottery are Bowl, Dish, Plate / Platter, Jar, Drinking vessels (Beaker, Cup, Tankards /
Mugs), Jugs etc.

assemblage Set of artefacts, not necessarily of the same type, recovered from a specific archaeological
context. Distinct groups of artefacts (for instance, flints that have been manufactured using a particular
technique) from different assemblages may be categorized as an INDUSTRY. Distinctive assemblages or
industries which recur in different contexts are often taken as indicators of a specific culture; however,
archaeologists have become increasingly wary of assuming that distinctive assemblages of material
culture necessarily indicate wider linguistic and social groupings (see CULTURE HISTORY). The term
‘assemblage’ is sometimes used more loosely to describe artefacts grouped together for the purposes of
argument or analysis, or in a particular collection.

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