Childrens Illustrated Encyclopedia

30

Archaeology 30-

For an archaeologist, brushing away the soil that hides a broken pot

is like brushing away time. every tiny fragment helps create a more complete

picture of the past. archaeology is the study of the remains of past human

societies, but it is not the same as history. historians use written records as

their starting point, while archaeologists use objects. they excavate, or dig,

in the ground or underwater for bones, pots, and anything else created by

our ancestors. they also look for seeds, field boundaries, and other signs

of how long-dead people made use of the landscape. But archaeology is

not just concerned with dead people and buried objects. it also helps us

understand what may happen to our own society in the future. archaeology

has shown that human actions

and changes in the climate

or environment can

destroy whole

communities.

stratiFication

archaeologists on a dig determine the relative age

of each object they find from where it is buried,

using the principle of stratification. this principle

says that older objects are usually buried deeper in

the ground than newer objects.

BronZe-age tools

archaeologists often find tools from ancient

times. the axe and arrowhead shown above

date from the Bronze age and are estimated

to have been used by humans between 3,000

and 8,000 years ago.

heinrich schliemann

in 1870, the pioneer german

archaeologist heinrich

schliemann (1822-90)

discovered the site of troy

in turkey. he also set out basic

rules for excavation, such as

careful recordkeeping. he did

not always follow his own rules.

his impatient hunt for

treasure sometimes destroyed

the objects he was seeking.

In photographs of the site,

the stripes painted on

poles make it easy

to judge the size

of objects.

analysis

the position

and location of

the objects uncovered

in a dig can provide

important information.

For this reason, archaeologists

measure, examine, record,

and analyze everything they

find and preserve it if

possible. scientific methods

such as radioactive dating

enable archaeologists to

find out the exact age of

objects made thousands

of years ago.

A soft brush removes

dry soil without

damaging the object.

By sketching objects,

archaeologists can

sometimes record more

detail than a camera can.

Small trowels allow

archaeologists to

remove soil carefully.

excavation

archaeologists gather

much of their information

about the past by carrying

out excavations, or digs.

they decide where to dig

by looking at aerial photographs,

old pictures, maps, documents, or

marks on the ground. then they carefully

remove layers of soil, often using trowels and other

small tools. the archaeologists keep digging until they

reach undisturbed soil with no trace of human occupation.

14th-century

chalk-lined cesspit

19th-century

drain

17th-century

floor

16th-century

chalk floor

Roman tiled

floor

Brick-lined well,

c. 1800

Archaeologists

sieve the soil

they remove

to check for

objects they may

have overlooked.

A grid pattern divides the site into squares so

that archaeologists can quickly record the

exact location of each find.

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