Archaeology is the study of human history through material remains. It is a subdiscipline of anthropology that focuses on past cultures through artifacts and sites rather than living people. The archaeological process involves preliminary research, surveying sites, excavating through horizontal and vertical exposure, carefully recording findings, removing and cleaning artifacts, cataloging and dating artifacts through methods like stratigraphy and carbon dating, analyzing artifacts in a lab, and publishing results to share with others. The goal is to excavate, restore, and interpret pieces of the past to further our understanding of history.

1. BASIC METHODS IN
ARCHAEOLOGY
HOW WE LEARN ABOUT THE
PAST

2. 2
ARCHAEOLOGY:
- In its broadest sense archaeology is the study of the human
past, particularly as it is revealed through material remains;
- A set of methods and procedures for investigating the past
that reflect both the data that are available and the academic
training and theoretical orientation of archaeologists.

3. 3
Archaeology and Anthropology:
- In American universities, archaeology is a subdiscipline of
Anthropology, a field that seeks to study humans in their
various aspects: physical, cultural, social, linguistic, and
historical;
-Archaeology differs from most Anthropology in that it deals
with dead people and with cultures in which individuals are
seldom perceived;
- it differs in that archaeologists study people’s works – their
artifacts and places of activity – rather than the people
themselves.

4. 4
- Though Archaeology can never hope to be all that
Anthropology is, it can make important contributions to both
Anthropology and History by adding a time dimension that
cannot be studied with living people.

5. 5
Various Steps of the Archaeological Process:
- preliminary research - problem-oriented;
- surveying and mapping; aerial photographs;
- digging: horizontal and vertical exposure;
- recording: photographs; top plans; drawings;
- removing the cleaning of objects;
- the cataloging, preservation, and dating of artifacts
with stratigraphy, Carbon 14; etc.;
- project database;
- laboratory work on the artifacts; comparisons;
- publication of the findings.

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-The primary job of the archaeologist is not to provide us
with beautiful relics, but to excavate, restore, and interpret
pieces of the past;
- A cycle of preliminary research, excavation, fact-finding,
interpretation, and publication of findings to be shared
with others.

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Archaeological Periods and Dates for the Near/Middle
East:
 Handout from Stern (ed.), The New Encyclopedia of
Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land (2001).
 See also A. Mazar, Archaeology of the Land of the Bible,
“Contents”, pp. v-x.
 The Conventional Chronology (see Textbook, p. 122) and
Mazar’s “The Modified Conventional Chronology”, p.
122.