 Archaeology is the scientific study of past cultures and the way people lived based on the things they left behind.

 Have you ever found a penny on the ground? That is an artifact that was lost by someone. Years from now, that penny could be found by an archaeologist, and it would be studied as part of American culture in the early twenty-first century.

 Artifacts are usually found buried in the ground. Over time, soil builds up and covers things left on the ground. That is why archaeologists dig in the dirt, or excavate, to find the artifacts.

 Archaeology offers a unique perspective on human history and culture that has contributed greatly to our understanding of both the ancient and the recent past.  Archaeology helps us understand not only where and when people lived on the earth, but also why and how they have live.  archaeology allows us to delve far back into the time and to glimpse the lives of everyday people through analysis of things they made and left behind.  In addition archaeology today can inform us about the lives of individuals, families and communities that might otherwise remain invisible.

 /index.htm /index.htm