Archaeology

Archaeology |ɑːkɪˈɒlədʒɪ| (Greek: αρχαίος "ancient" + λόγος "word / speech / discourse"; alternatives: archeology, archæology) is the scientific study of past human cultures by means of the recovery, documentation and analysis of material remains and environmental data. The broad scientific goals of archaeology are to document and explain the development of human culture, globally and diachronically, from its origins to the recent past. Methods include invasive practices such as excavation and non-invasive procedures such as the use of geophysics.

A practitioner of the discipline of archaeology is generally known as an "archaeologist". Archaeologists tend to develop one or more specialisations—with respect to technique, region and/or period studied—in the course of their training and career.

Dating methods

Dating archaeological contexts and finds is essential to providing a chronology of a site. Methods for dating can be divided into two groups: relative and absolute. Relative dating is the process of establishing a chronology and placing events or artefacts within this framework.