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By: Ikedi Ani-okoye

Archaeology

Human kind has always been fascinated by the question Of who are, where we came from1 and how we used to live. Archaeology is the study of our past, Com early prehistory onward, using the material remains of our ancestors and the possessions they left behind.

Over thousands of years, evidence Of human activityl such as camp fires, rubbish tips, and dwellings, become buried. Archaeological teams discover these sites and uncover this evidence by careful excavation. The Material is then conserved and studied in order to help the archaeologist piece together a picture of how people lived and died in the past.

Excavation

Tools

Archaeologists use shovels and handpicks to remove the topsoil. Then smaller hand tools are used, such as dental picks, teaspoons, and trowels, co excavate delicate objects.

Finds

Andhaeologists usually draw or photograph the artefact (objects) to make a visual record. They carefully measure and record the shapes, colours, decorations, and ages of any artefacts or features. This helps archaeologists link and relate different objects and sites.

Stratigraphy

By revealing Features such as ditches, post holes, and floors, stratigraphy gives information about the history of a site, and the people who lived there. urban areas, such as London, surface levels rise as debris is shovelled in to level the ground before rebuilding. Because it shows a chrono- logical sequence, stratigraphy was used to date sites before radiocarbon dating was invented.

Archaeological sites are excavated by layers. Workers remove the top, most recent layer and work down, uncovering older, deeper levels. The study of these layers and the items they contain is called stratigraphy.

Investigation

Buried objects are fragile, and decay quickly after excavation. To stabilize them, they are cleaned and conserved. After conservation, an object can be studied. The material of which it is made, its function, and its date are recorded. It may then be photographed and displayed in a museum.

Underwater archaeology

Sites beneath the sea or its lakes are more difficult to excavate than those on land because shifting sat or sand causes poor visibiility. However, marine sites often preserve materials, such as the wood of the 16th-century ship, the Mary Rose, which would usually be lost on dry land. Conservation may nvolve treatment with water, sealing with chemicals, or careful drying.