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Archaeology
is, quite simply, the study of past human cultures. The study
of human cultures in general is anthropology, which means
that archaeologists are, first and foremost, anthropologists.
Where archaeologists differ from anthropologists is in their
method of study. While the anthropologist enters the field
to study among extant human groups, directly observing activities,
recording interviews with informants, and interacting with
members of the society, the archaeologist studies past human
activities and behaviors primarily through observation of
materials, features, and structures left behind by the past
society. Archaeologists seek to explain the same cultural
phenomena that anthropologists study among modern peoples;
the two fields are, therefore, inseparable. In fact, archaeologists
rely heavily on studies and conclusions regarding modern cultural
characteristics and patterns in making inferences about those
of past peoples. It is important to understand that archaeologists
do not simply excavate, describe, and analyze artifacts and
ecofacts. Although these activities are certainly practiced
by archaeologists, they are not the "be all, end-all"
of archaeological research.
The
ultimate goal of archaeology is to make sound interpretations
about past human behavior, and to look for patterns that might
help us to understand cultural change. Archaeologists are
able to make interpretations based on careful study of archaeological
sites and the materials recovered from archaeological contexts
at the site. An archaeological site is an area that was used
by human groups in the past, and evidence of its occupation
comes in the form of archaeological materials: artifacts,
ecofacts, and features. Careful examination and analysis of
artifacts (man-made tools or other objects), ecofacts (natural
materials included in an archaeological site), features (man-made
structures that cannot be removed from a site), and human
burials allow archaeologists to piece together a scenario
regarding past human lifeways, including interpretations about
technologies and subsistence strategies, social complexity,
group mobility, intergroup trade, health patterns, and diet.
Archaeology
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