HOT TOPIC: Archaeology
Volume 2, Issue 34 - May 14, 2006"Archaeology, and its cousin physical anthropology, is the study of a past civilization through its physical remains. It begins with the survey of an area to identify areas of interest and then delves into the excavation of the site using horizontal and vertical markers to identify the location where artifacts are unearthed. The analysis and archiving of artifacts after the excavation is perhaps the most important part of the process, as we interpret and understand the past with more clarity.
For thousands of years, people have dug up treasures of the past, typically for profit. But in the 1800s the process began to emerge as a formal discipline with scientists such as Augustus Pitt Rivers and William Flinders Petrie establishing the process and protocols for proper archaeological work. As the discipline arrived in the twentieth century practices further improved, allowing for artifacts to be exhumed in even better condition. Today, urban archaeology and rescue archaeology have evolved as sub-disciplines, and advancements in archaeological science have further improved the amount of data that we can gather from a dig.
Beyond the romantic ideal of Indiana Jones conducting daring excavations around the world, archeology has many practical applications for the classroom across the curriculum, from conducting classroom excavations to working with local archaeologists on site, and completing reading, writing and math tasks that shed further light on the process. I hope this week’s newsletter provides you with the resources you need to help make the past come alive for your learners!"
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