Archaeology The Basics Adapted from the Texas Historical Commission’s document How Archaeologists Work

What is archaeology? The study of people from the past through artifacts Archaeologists study pre-history or the time before written history They find a site or place where artifacts and other material remains are found Mostly stone tools, pottery and other non-perishable artifacts are what’s left Perishable artifacts such as those made of wood or plant fiber have rotted away over time

Key questions about sites Who owns the site? Where is the site located? How big is the site? What is the environment like in the site area? Based on visible evidence, what period does it appear to date from? Who recorded the site, and when? Has a site number been assigned? (Site numbers help archaeologists distinguish between the many different sites across the United States)

Site numbers Each state has its own number Texas’s number is 41 Each county in Texas has an abbreviation that is used Victoria is VT The last part of the number shows how many sites were recorded in the county before the current one Ex. 41VT59 is a site in the state of Texas in Victoria County and is the 59th site found in that county

Excavation Before excavation begins, the site is photographed, a map is created, and a gird system is set up using wooden stakes and string The grid system helps archaeologists keep accurate records of where everything was located Once these preparations are done, it is time to excavate When thinking of an excavation, picture a layer cake As archaeologists dig deeper into the earth, the artifacts get older and older

What are they looking for? Not just artifacts They are looking for changes in the soil, places fires once burned, and where buildings once stood Archaeologists take samples of the soil to study when they return to the lab These soil samples can help identify what people lived in that area Larger objects are easier to find but in other cases, shovels of dirt are place in a screen in order to shift out smaller artifacts such as beads

Questions about artifacts How did this get here? When was it made? What was it made from? How was it made? How was it used? What objects were found with it? Which cultural group made it? Why was it discarded?

Finishing the site and writing the report Artifacts that can be moved are taken back to the lab along with soil samples and other items to be examined and cataloged Sometimes, archaeologists will call in geologists (study the earth itself), paleontologists (study fossils), and botanists (study plants) to help them Writing a report on their findings is so important because other archaeologists will use those reports as a comparison for their dig sites. Writing a report can take months and even years in some cases Once the report is published, the artifacts must be curated At this point, other scientists will be able to use the artifacts for comparative analysis (compare them to artifacts they found on their current site)

How sites are destroyed Archaeological sites are non-renewable resources Once they have been destroyed, they cannot be replaced or replicated Information will is lost forever When archaeologists excavate, they try to preserve as much of the site as they can Natural forces such as hurricanes, floods, tornados, and other naturally occurring phenomena can destroy sites (archaeologists work hard to excavate sites before this can happen) People can also destroy sites Some do not know any better and accidentally dig up artifacts while others are curious about the site and remove artifacts to show their friends There are also people called pothunters who dig up sites looking for perfect and valuable artifacts to sell for profit Archaeologists and people around the world work hard to keep sites from being destroyed by teaching people how to protect them