Archaeology is the study of buildings and objects that people made a long time ago. Archaeologists take a look at how people lived before writing was invented. They examine their daily life and what they left behind. They also try to find out why cultures and civilizations fell apart or why people of the time hunted certain animals.
Because history is such a vast field, archaeologists mostly concentrate on certain periods of history, for example ancient Greece, or ancient Egypt.
Work of an Archaeologist
An archaeologist has many different tasks to do. Besides fieldwork they excavate objects and try to reconstruct historical sites. They also examine their findings and try to learn more about a certain period in history.
Fieldwork is the discovery of sites that are worth studying. Sometimes archaeologists know where to look for, however, at other times they make such discoveries by chance. Some objects are close to the surface and can be found easily while others can only be traced with the help of satellite images or other advanced methods. For archaeological sites under the earth’s surface or under water they use sound technology and radar.
After fieldwork is completed an archaeologist starts to excavate the site. They use various instruments like shovels and picks, but must be careful not to damage or destroy valuable objects and findings. Architects use special brushes to scrap away soil and set objects free. The objects they discover are called artefacts. They are labelled and often covered with chemicals so that they can be preserved. Sometimes field laboratories are set up in order to catalogue the objects that are found.
When finished with digging out ancient objects archaeologists must interpret what they have found. They try to determine how old artefacts are and from which period they come. Sometimes scientists from other fields help with their work.
An archaeologist can date an object by comparing it with the other objects that have been nearby. Artefacts are compared with rock layers in order to figure out their approximate age. Other methods use the rings of the trees, which proves to be highly accurate.
Radiocarbon dating is the most accurate method of finding out how old something is. Every living object has traces of radioactive carbon in them. The amount of carbon decreases after a living thing dies. Archaeologists can compare the carbon in artefacts to living objects and calculate their age. This method is very accurate for objects that go back thousands of years.
History of archaeology
Archaeology first emerged during the Renaissance period of the 1400s. At that time many people were curious about older things. They found pleasure in the classics and were anxious to find out how the ancient Greeks and Romans lived.
In the 18th century excavations began in Italy. During that time the historic sites of Pompeii and Herculaneum were set free. Scientists found streets, baths houses as well as paintings and statues from the old Roman towns. In the 1870s Troy and other sites on Greek islands were excavated.
The most exciting finding of modern archaeology occurred in 1922 when the British archaeologist Howard Carter found the tomb of Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamen in the Valley of the Kings. Inside the tomb was a mummy in a gold coffin which was virtually untouched.
Later on other parts of the world became the centre of archaeological interest. In 1940, caves with prehistoric wall painting were found in southern France. Other important sites include the Aztec civilisation in Mexico and the Terracotta Army of ancient China.
Today most archaeologists work at universities or government departments, which also provide funds for their work. Sometimes they get money from museums or private organisations.
Ivory is a smooth material that can be found in the tusks of mammals. Elephants, walruses, hippos and whales are the primary sources of ivory. Because it is so valuable and expensive, ivory has been traded around the world for centuries.
Egyptian sculptors carved ivory objects for their pharaoh. Ancient Greeks and Romans used ivory to create art, religious objects and jewellery. Even large statues were made of ivory. The ancient Chinese got ivory from traders that brought it from India and Southeast Asia. For centuries it was used as a currency.
At first people used ivory from Asian elephants but then saw that the ivory of African elephants was easier to carve. Traders started moving in on Africa and the ivory trade started to boom. Before plastic was invented ivory was used for making objects of everyday life, like knife handles, piano keys, combs and billiard balls.
The best known form of ivory is in an elephant’s tusks. They can grow to a length of over 3 metres and weigh up to a hundred kilograms. The outside of a tusk is often dark, whereas the inside is white or cream-coloured. Ivory is a hard material that can be easily carved into different shapes. In many countries handicrafts, souvenirs and jewellery are made from ivory.
Ivory is also preserved in the tundra of Siberia, northern Canada and other polar regions where prehistoric mammoths roamed the continents thousands of years ago. Some of these tusks are larger than the tusks of mammals that exist today. However such fossil ivory is harder to carve.
Walrus tusks are especially popular in North America, where they were used by Native Americans for hundreds of years.
Today trading ivory from elephants and other endangered animals is illegal. During the 20th century large parts of the elephant population were reduced because of ivory trade. The poached ivory is smuggled out of the country and sold at a very high price.
Since the end of the 20th century governments of African and Asian countries have focused on capturing poachers and clamping down on illegal trading rings. Tons of ivory are seized by authorities every year. In the last few years these actions have stabilized the elephant population. Some countries have put elephants into reserves, where they can be closely monitored.