archaeo-, archeo-, archae-, arche-, archa-, archi-, -arch

Material collected and recorded as significant evidence by an archaeologist.

Archaeological data falls into four classes: artifacts, ecofacts, features, and structures.

The use of geological techniques and methods to archaeological work: "Archeological geology is different from geoarchaeology in that the it is a subfield of archaeology focusing on the physical context of deposits."

Sedimentary and architectural units defined by a combination of lithological, pedological, and material cultural criteria.

Any of a variety of means used by archaeologists to find, recover, analyze, preserve, and describe the artifacts and other remains of past human activities.

The technique of finding, specifying, and documenting the locations of very old historical sites on the ground by examining different contrasts in the various environments and geographic configurations: In his class of archaeological reconnaissance, James used a special tool called an auger to make holes in the ground so he could extract samples of soil in order to understand the physical features of what once existed in certain areas.

The surviving physical remains of past human activities, which are sought, recovered, analyzed, preserved, and described by archaeologists in an attempt to reconstruct the past.

The act or process of obtaining artifacts from a site for the purpose of deriving archaeological data.

A method of placing a group of similar objects into a chronological sequence, taking into account stylistic changes that have occurred over time.

Any concentration of artifacts, ecofacts, features, and structures manufactured or modified by humans.

The methods used to examine an area to determine if there are any deposits available of people and their cultures.

Any theoretical concept used to assess the framework and meaning of the remains of past human activity.

Such a theory is used to guide a reconstruction and an interpretation of the past by looking beyond the facts and artifacts for explanations of prehistoric events.

An arbitrary classification unit set up by an archaeologist to separate one grouping of artifacts from another in space and time.

Of, relating to, or concerning archaeology.

The scientific study and reconstruction of the human past through the systematic recovery of the physical remains of man's life and cultures.

Artifacts, structures, settlements, materials, and features of prehistoric or ancient peoples are surveyed and/or excavated to uncover history in times before written records.

Archaeology also supplements the study of recorded history. From the end of the 18th century onwards, archaeology has come to mean the branch of learning which studies the material remains of mankind's past. Its scope is, therefore, enormous, ranging from the first stone tools made and fashioned by man over three million years ago in Africa, to the garbage thrown into our trash cans and taken to city dumps and incinerators yesterday.

The objectives of archaeology are to construct cultural history by ordering and describing the events of the past, study cultural processes to explain the meaning of those events and what underlies and conditions human behavior, and reconstruct past lifeways.

Among the specialties in the field are: archaeobiology, archaeobotany, archaeozoology, and social archaeology. Modern archaeology, which is often considered a subdiscipline of anthropology, has become increasingly scientific and relies on a wide variety of experts; such as, biologists, geologists, physicists, sociologists, anthropologists, and historians.

The methods appropriate to different periods vary, leading to specialized branches of the subject, e.g. classical, medieval, industrial, etc. archaeology.

The large field of work that entails the physical and/or chemical analyses (measurement) of archaeological substances, their constituents, ages, residues, etc.