Introduction to Archaeology

Introduction

Archaeology is the study of the past, through the people, things, objects, animals and the landscape that humans have interacted with. That means it’s a huge subject that pulls on many different topics. You could be studying how gender has been perceived by different societies, or you could be using scientific analysis to understand how humans have domesticated and changed the environment around them, or even studying ancient texts. Archaeology is great if you like to travel, be outside and active!
Archaeologists find out about the past by excavating (digging up) the physical remains they left behind. You might see archaeologists working on a building site, checking what is there before construction starts. Or if researching a particular place and time, this might take them anywhere in the world! Other archaeologists preserve and present work in museums, or other heritage spaces.
Archaeology isn’t a subject that is taught at school, but relies on many subjects to understand people in the past. Subjects like History, Geography, Chemistry, Maths, Computing, Psychology and many more are all helpful if you want to study Archaeology.

Objectives
• To be introduced to the key ideas underpinning archaeological techniques