How archaeologists find and record the past
Archaeology recovers the human past from what people left behind, much of it buried.
Artifacts, ecofacts, and features
Artifacts are objects made or modified by people, such as tools, pots, and beads. Ecofacts are natural remains that reveal human activity, like seeds, pollen, and animal bones from meals. Features are things that cannot be moved without destroying them, such as hearths, walls, and storage pits. Together they make up the archaeological record.
Survey and excavation
Archaeologists first survey a landscape, walking it in lines, using aerial images, satellite data, or ground-penetrating radar to locate sites. Excavation then carefully removes soil in layers inside a grid of squares, so the exact location of every find can be mapped. Because excavation destroys the original deposit, detailed records are essential.
Context is everything
An object's meaning depends on its context: where it lay, what it was found with, and which layer it came from. A coin found in a grave says something different from the same coin in a trash pit. When looters dig up artifacts and sell them, the context is lost forever, which is why archaeologists oppose the trade in looted antiquities.
Flashcard
An object made or modified by humans
Check your understanding
Charred seeds found in an ancient hearth are best classified as: