An Introduction to Archaeology: What is Archaeology and Why is it Important?

Video

What is archaeology? In the broadest definition possible, archaeology is the study of human history through the material culture left behind. The desire among human beings for knowledge of what came before has always been there. Just look at ancient cultures who often have myths relating the beginning of the universe and the human race.

This interest in human history is not new, and the practice of archaeology is closely intertwined with numerous other disciplines such as history and anthropology. Where historians focus on written evidence from history and anthropologists undertake the study of humanity, archaeologists focus on human history as told through the physical evidence left behind including artefacts like pottery, tools, human remains, cave art, coins, figurines and jewellery, and larger things like the pyramids, tombs, temples and domestic architecture.

Why is archaeology important? Why have people for thousands of years already been interested in digging up what has been left by those that came before us? One of the biggest reasons is that it is pretty difficult to understand the present, to understand our society and the human race as we are today, without understanding where we have come from and who came before us. Archaeology in particular can highlight how little we have changed, especially when there are no written records, or written records only from the perspective of the elite.

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— CHAPTERS —
0:00​ Introduction
1:00 What is Archaeology?
2:44 Tools of Modern Archaeology
5:32 Famous Archaeologists and Discoveries
10:34 Why is Archaeology Important?
12:18 Outro

— WANT TO KNOW MORE? —
Archaeology https://www.worldhistory.org/Archaeology/
Pompeii https://www.worldhistory.org/pompeii/
Knossos https://www.worldhistory.org/knossos/
Tutankhamun https://www.worldhistory.org/Tutankhamun/
Troy https://www.worldhistory.org/troy/
Wonderful Things: Howard Carter's Discovery of Tutankhamun's Tomb https://www.worldhistory.org/article/705/wonderful-things-howard-carters-discovery-of-tutan/
The History of Excavations at Tel Gezer https://www.worldhistory.org/article/853/the-history-of-excavations-at-tel-gezer/

— WATCH NEXT —
History of the Iliad and the Trojan War https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38xMffvYdAo
Akrotiri and the Eruption of Thera: The Pompeii of the Aegean https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDMNQHAhPOU
The Destruction of Ancient Pompeii https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNPNBarRhQc
The First Black Archaeologist: A Life of John Wesley Gilbert with John Lee https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZSZHzpaXog
Ancient Greek Pottery: History, Development and Designs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lWyqbYITQw

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The music used in this recording is the intellectual copyright of Michael Levy, a prolific composer for the recreated lyres of antiquity, and used with the creator's permission. Michael Levy's music is available to stream at all the major digital music platforms. Find out more on:
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