Definition, Aims and objectives of Archaeology

1. ARCHAEOLOGY : AIMS
AND OBJECTIVES
By: Dr. Ashwani Asthana

2. ARCHAEOLOGY : AIMS
AND OBJECTIVES
1. GREEK – ARCHAIOS – ANCIENT;
LOGOS – THEORY OR SCIENCE
2. IT IS A BRANCH OF LEARNING
THAT IS CONCERNED WITH THE
MATERIAL VESTIGES OF MAN

3. 1. LEONARD COTTRELL— IT IS A
CONTINUING HISTORY WHICH BEGINS
WITH THE FIRST APPEARANCE OF MAN ON
THE EARTH AND WILL ONLY END WITH
THE EXTINCTION OF HUMAN SPECIES
2. GLYN DANIEL – STUDY OF PHYSICAL
REMAINS OF HUMAN PAST. IT DEALS WITH
EVERY THINGS FROM EOLITHS TO TIME
CAPSULE AND COVERS SUCH AN
ENORMOUS FIELD THAT MUCH OF IT
DEALT WITH SPECIALIST STUDY SUCH AS
HISTORY OF ART OR ARCHITECTURE

4. 3. GORDON CHILDE – ARCHAEOLOGY IS
THE STUDY OF HUMAN ACTIVITIES
OBTAINED THROUGH DISTINCT
PHYSICAL REMAINS
• HE POINTS OUT THAT
ARCHAEOLOGY IS ABLE TO PROBE
FARTHER BACK AND STUDY HUMAN
HISTORY EVEN PRIOR TO THE TIME
OF WRITTEN RECORDS WHICH ARE
ONLY 1 HUNDRETH PART OF THE
TIME DURING WHICH MEN HAVE
BEEN ACTIVE IN OUR PLANET

5. 4. ACCORDING TO RENFREW AND
OTHERS ‘ARCHAEOLOGY IS THE
RECOVERY AND STUDY OF
MATERIAL REMAINS OF PAST
SOCIETIES TO GAIN INSIGHTS INTO
HUMAN HISTORY AND PREHISTORY’
5. MODERN ARCHAEOLOGY ALSO
CONSIDERS THE ASSOCIATION OF
THESE SOCIETIES WITH ONE
ANOTHER (MAN-MAN RELATIONSHIP)
AND WITH THE PALAEO LANDSCAPE
(MAN-LAND RELATIONSHIPS,
ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONTEXT)

6. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
1. IT IS DIFFICULT TO PRECISELY PIN POINT
THE OBJECTIVES OF ARCHAEOLOGY.
HOWEVER, MOST OF THE
ARCHAEOLOGISTS AGREE THAT THE
ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH IS
CONDUCTED WITH THREE SPECIFIC
OBJECTIVES:
(a) THE STUDY OF SITES AND THEIR CONTENTS
IN THE CONTEXT OF TIME AND SPACE. THE
STUDY FORMS THE BASIS FOR DERIVING
DESCRIPTION OF A LONG SEQUENCES OF
HUMAN CULTURE

7. (b) THE RECONSTRUCTION OF PAST LIFE
WAYS
(c) THE STUDY OF CULTURAL PROCESS
2. IT IS ILLOGICAL TO BELIEVE THAT
ALL THE ABOVE OBJECTIVES ARE
EQUALLY VALID OR THEY CO EXIST
IN EVERY SITUATION
• IN PRACTICE, THEY ARE
COMPLEMENTARY TO EACH OTHER
SPECIALLY WHEN THE OBJECTIVE IS
TO SEEK AN ANSWER TO SPECIFIC
QUESTION

8. 4. THE TERM CULTURAL HISTORY
MEAN THE DESCRIPTION OF HUMAN
CULTURE OF THE PAST
• THE CULTURAL HISTORY IS
RECONSTRUCTED BY BUILDING UP
LOCAL SEQUENCES OF
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES INTO
REGIONAL AND EVEN LARGER SCALE
FRAME WORKS OF CHANGING
HUMAN CULTURES
5. THE WAY PEOPLE MADE THEIR
LIVING IN THE PAST IS STUDIED
UNDER THE RECONSTRUCTION OF
PAST LIFE WAYS

9. • IT HAS DEVELOPED INTO A MAJOR
CONCERN SINCE 1930’S
• THE STUDY FOCUSSES THE
IMPORTANT ROLE OF
ENVIRONMENT AND ITS IMPACT ON
ARTEFACTS AND STRUCTURE.
• WITH THE SINCERE EFFORTS OF
GRAHAM CLARK (STAR CARR AND
OTHER EUROPEAN SITES) AND
ROBERT BRAIDWOOD (ZAGROS
MOUNTAINS-NEAR EAST) THE STUDY
GOT A NEW DIMENSION OF
MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH

10. • IT TOOK THE HELP OF POLLEN
ANALYSIS, SOIL ANALYSIS,
ARCHAEO-ZOOLOGICAL ANALYSIS,
ETC., FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION OF
HUMAN LIFE AND ITS
ENVIRONMENTAL ADAPTATION
6. THE STUDY OF CULTURAL PROCESS
NOT ONLY CONCERNS WITH THE
DESCRIPTION OF THE PAST BUT
WITH EXPLANATION OF CULTURE
CHANGE IN THE PAST AS WELL

11. • UNDER THIS STUDY
ARCHAEOLOGISTS MAKE ATTEMPT
TO EXPLAIN THE NATURE OF
CULTURAL CHANGE, PROCESS AND
EVOLUTION AND THE CAUSES OF
SUCH CHANGE
• THIS APPROACH TO ARCHAEOLOGY
IS ALSO SOMETIMES CALLED THE
‘NEW ARCHAEOLOGY’