2.1 Archaeological Research Methods

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

• Describe archaeological techniques for uncovering artifacts.
• Explain the importance of context in making sense of artifacts and describe how researchers record content while working in the field.
• Describe the law of superposition as used in the field of archaeology.
• Describe the different types of relative dating methods used by archaeologists.
• Identify and briefly define four absolute or chronometric dating methods.

Many people have an inherent fascination with the human past. Perhaps this fascination stems from the fact that people recognize themselves in the objects left behind by those who have lived before. Relics of past civilizations, in the form of human-made cultural artifacts, temples, and burial remains, are the means by which we can begin to understand the thoughts and worldviews of ancient peoples. In the quest to understand these ancient societies, human curiosity has sometimes led to fantastical myths about races of giant humans, dragons, and even extraterrestrial beings. In the realm of archaeology, less speculative methods are used to study the human past. Scientific approaches and techniques are the foundation of archaeology today.