An introduction to archaeology

this is about the meaning of Archaeology

1. AN INTRODUCTION TO ARCHAEOLOGY Dr.AGHALYA.,M.A.,M.Ed.,M.PHIL.,Ph.D ., Head & Asst.Professor Department of History Bon Secours College for Women Thanjavur

2. Structure Introduction Objectives Meaning and Origins of Archaeology History and Archaeology Prehistoric Archaeology Relationship between Prehistoric Archaeology and History Scope of Prehistoric Archaeology Approaches in Prehistoric Archaeology Historical Archaeology Structure

3. Archaeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. Archaeology is the study of people and cultures of the past through objects they left behind. It is a subfield of Anthropology–the study of all human 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. INTRODUCTION

4. After going through this unit, you will be able to: Understand the meaning and origins of Archaeology Establish the relationship between History and Archaeology Describe prehistoric archaeology OBJECTIVES

5. Anthropology : It is the study of human beings, including their behaviour , biology, linguistics and social and cultural variations. Antiquarian : It is a term used to indicate a pre-20th-century collector of ancient artifacts before the development of scientific archaeology and the establishment of standards for excavating and preserving finds. Artifact : It is portable object manufactured, modified, or used by humans .   KEY WORDS

6. Hunter-gatherers : It refers to a community or group that subsists primarily by hunting wild animals and gathering wild plant resources. Neolithic : It refers to the latter portion of the Stone Age, a time period beginning around 10,000 BCE., when many areas were developing agriculture, especially the Middle East. Site : It denotes any place where human material remains are found; an area of human activity represented by material culture. KEY WORDS

7. Babylone

8. The word archaeology has its origin from two Ancient Greek words ‘ arkhaios ’, meaning ancient or old, and ‘logia’, which stand for learning or study. Many consider it to be a subfield of anthropology (the study of all human culture and evolution), along with many other subfields comprising biological, cultural and linguistic anthropology. MEANING AND ORIGINS OF ARCHAEOLOGY

9. Archaeology can be considered both a social science and a branch of the humanity (the study of humans and their society). However, it also uses other branches of learning such as biology, chemistry, geology, botany, geography and various other disciplines. By using all these disciplines, the archaeologists are able to understand human civilizations of the past and recreate main aspects of the environment in which these bygone societies lived. MEANING AND ORIGINS OF ARCHAEOLOGY

10. Chinese Cultural Study

11. Archaeology is the only method available for the study of human actions in the material world, when other evidences such as a variety of written materials and oral traditions narrating certain phenomenon fail. The survival of written documents is relatively limited and hence from the time that these documents become available, they provide additional tools to archaeology for its interpretation of past activities of man, on the basis of material remains. MEANING AND ORIGINS OF ARCHAEOLOGY

12. Keezhadi

13. Archaeology, from this point of view, has to not only interpret material remains of human activity, but also throw light on the literary interpretations of the past phenomenon. It helps us to appreciate and preserve our shared human heritage. It informs us about the past, helps us understand where we came from, and shows us how people lived, overcame challenges, and developed the societies we have today. MEANING AND ORIGINS OF ARCHAEOLOGY

14. The exact origins of archaeology as a discipline are uncertain. Excavations of ancient monuments and collection of antiquities have been taking place since times immemorial. The Italian Renaissance humanist historian, Flavio Biondo , is seen as a candidate for consideration as an early founder of archaeology. ORIGINS OF ARCHAEOLOGY

15. Anthropological studies in Harappa

16. However, it was only in the 19 th century that the systematic study of the past through its physical remains began to be carried out in a manner recognizable to modern students of archaeology. Petrie (1853-1942) was another personality who may rightly be called the Father of Archaeology. ORIGINS OF ARCHAEOLOGY

17. Both history and archaeology research the human past. The difference between these two disciplines derives from the source materials. Archeology is also related with history in a more particular manner. The history of the earliest literate societies such as those of Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece and Rome depends largely on archaeology, which was in the first place responsible for the recovery of the written history documents through archaeological excavations. HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY

18. Archaeology and history complement each other. The two disciplines together provide a more comprehensive record of the past. For example, some of archaeologically invisible activities may be described in historical documents. Also, sometimes history can be used to locate archaeological sites. The two disciplines are related with each other in terms of methodology as they use the same method in the finding the past events, such as the use of observation to identify a certain place where particular events took place. HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY

19. Archaeology has contributed to the study of written history through the study of artifacts and structures of literate societies. This has led to the development of the new sub-discipline of historical archaeology. Many physical remains of the past, such as clay tablets, Egyptian choreographic text on papyrus and inscriptions, are historical documents just as much as are the books published in the 17thcentury Europe. HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY

20. Another distinction is found in the scope of the two disciplines. Archaeology covers the period from the beginning of human civilization (2.5 million years ago) to the present, while history covers the period from the beginning of written records (3000 BC) to the present. SCOPE OF THE TWO DISCIPLINES

21. History comprises the stories of what happened, how, where, who did it and what happened next. Archaeology is concerned with the place where a sample, such as the remains of a temple, or an artwork, or an artifact is found. SCOPE OF THE TWO DISCIPLINES

22. Prehistoric archaeology has become an institution nowadays, encompassing a number of different scholars forming sub- disciplines.Each scholar propagates new theories and follows different methods having different approaches. Scope of Prehistoric Archaeology

23. Historical archaeology is a sub-discipline of archaeology concerned with studying places, things, and issues from the past using physical evidence in combination with other types of historical sources such as maps, documents, illustrations, photographs and oral history. In the strictest sense, historical archaeology is the archaeology of societies that left behind historical records . HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY

24. These records can both complement and conflict with the archaeological evidence found. It focuses on the objects used by people in the past and the places where they lived and worked. It can tell us about the way things were made and used and how people lived their daily lives. Historical archaeology emphasizes on literate, historical-period societies as opposed to non-literate, prehistoric societies. HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY