Archaeological Vacations

Lesson 1: What is Archaeology?

What is Archaeology? What do Archaeologists Do? Where do archaeologists dig?

In this Lesson, you will learn what archaeology is, some basic archaeology terms, what archaeologists do, and where archaeologist dig.

Basic Archaeological Terms

Archaeology is the study of man through material culture, such as artifacts, ecofacts, and features. These materials are found within archaeological sites. Please note that words in bold type are defined later in the section for your convenience.

• Material culture is a general term referring to the things that people used or had in their possession.



• Artifacts are portable objects that have been modified or used by people. For instance, an arrow is a rock that has been chipped and flaked into a specific shape and then used for hunting.



• Ecofacts are natural objects that tell archaeologists about the environment that past people lived in. For instance, archaeologists can examine soil for pollen, seeds, and insects. These ecofacts tell archaeologists what types of trees, plants, and animals lived in the area at the time the people existed. From these ecofacts archaeologists can infer if the area was warm/cold, wet/dry, treed/cleared, or if domesticated plant species were present.



• Features are artifacts that are immovable. Features include things like hearths, tipi rings, and building foundations.
  
  
• Site is the area where the archaeologists are digging. A site might be only a few meters in diameter or may contain a whole city. Often if several buildings or activity areas are present at one site, archaeologists may divide the area into several sites.



• Site Types are the assigned use of a site. For instance, a site could specifically be used as a hunting camp or as a place to quarry rock.



• Activity Areas are areas where specific tasks were undertaken within a site. For instance, people may eat in one area and sleep in another area.

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