FIND OUT MORE. Ancient Greece 376–377 • Early Americans 380 • First Metalworkers 367 • Prehistoric Pottery 367
History^361
ARCHAEOLOGY
Archaeology involves studying the past through
the analysis of physical remains. These include
stone or flint objects, metal items, pottery,
paintings, tools, weapons, and textiles, as
well as fields, towns, and ruined buildings.WHAT TECHNIQUES DO ARCHAEOLOGISTS USE?
Today’s archaeologists locate sites using aerial
photography, satellite pictures, and a satellite system
called GPS. Then, they excavate (dig up) the sites to
uncover buried remains, and record the details of any
finds using photos, drawings, charts, and maps. They
scan and X-ray their finds to investigate them without
harming them, and use computer modelling to create
reconstructions of damaged objects and buildings.PEWTER JUG FROM THE MARY ROSE, ENGLAND 3
This jug, encrusted with barnacles, was salvaged in 1982. It is part
of the remains of the wrecked English warship, the Mary Rose, which
had been built for King Henry VIII. The ship sank in 1545.WHERE DO ARCHAEOLOGISTS
LOOK FOR REMAINS?
Archaeologists search for remains
in many different places, including
shipwrecks, tombs, caves, and even
rubbish tips. They survey towns and
villages – recording the location of all historic
sites – and examine the soil to find any
traces of past fires, fields, and buildings. They
study animal bones and seeds to find out what
people ate and what the climate was like.Noose around neck
shows Tollund Man
was strangledHOW DO ARCHAEOLOGISTS DATE THEIR FINDS?
Archaeologists have many ways of dating finds.
Fragments of pottery, or coins, can show when
people lived on a site, and tree rings in timber can
reveal when a building was made. These experts
can also measure the level of radioactive carbon or
magnetic energy in an object to calculate its age.ANTHROPOLOGY
Anthropology is the study of humankind. It often focuses on
people living today – especially groups that follow ancient
customs and traditions, or still use ancient forms of technology.
Anthropologists visit these people to ask them questions, and
observe their family life, social customs, and religious rituals.
They record their songs, myths, legends, and beliefs.
HOW DOES ANTHROPOLOGY HELP HISTORY?
The study of anthropology can help historians to
understand how ancient objects were used, or why
ancient beliefs were so important, by comparing
evidence from the past with observations made today.
It is especially useful to historians investigating past
civilizations that have left no written records.
4 BURIAL HEAD, USA
This head was found in a burial
mound in Ohio, and dates from
around 300 BCE. It was carved by
descendants of the Hopewell
culture. Today’s anthropologists
study the religious customs of
present-day cultures in Ohio,
USA. Their studies help historians
to understand the various uses
of figures such as this one.Head made of
stone – face
may represent
an ancestorTOLLUND MAN, DENMARK 1
This man was thrown into a bog around 2,000 years ago, as a sacrifice
to the gods. The acidic earth in the bog preserved his body. Because of
this, archaeologists have been able to work out his age, health, height,
weight, and social status – and even what he ate for his last meal.history