What is Archaeology by Lin Donn

What is Archaeology by Lin Donn - Transcript

What is Archaeology
Written by Lin Donn Illustrated by Phillip Martin

Fossils Artifacts
An archaeologist is someone who tries to figure out what life was like in the ancient past by looking at the remains of ancient people their fossils and their artifacts An archaeologist must know the difference between an artifact and a fossil 1 Fossils are remains of living things plants animals people not of things that were made 2 Artifacts are remains of things that were made not the remains of living things

What is a site
A site is a place archaeologists wish to explore At the site archaeologists literally dig looking for the remains of ancient civilizations That is why they call the site at which they are working a dig

Finding a site
How do archaeologists find sites to explore 1 They think about what people need to stay alive Some of those things include access to clean drinking water a protected place to live and easy access to trade routes With this in mind archaeologists look for remains of civilizations along the banks of rivers and streams

Finding a site
2 They check out reports of artifacts that have been discovered Artifacts have been discovered by farmers and construction companies while working at their jobs 3 They check the land from the air looking for large depressions that could be the ruins of an ancient living area 4 They use scientific instruments like radar and sonar to look for ruins

Perm ission to Dig
An archaeologist must receive permission to explore a site The owner of the land must grant sometimes permission Sometimes the government of a country must issue permits Once permission is received archaeologists work in teams with other archaeologists A team begins to explore the area They look for evidence that people once lived in the area Evidence includes fossils and artifacts

Grids Labeling
Before they begin digging archaeologists design a grid on the ground using rope and string Each square in the grid must be carefully searched A record must be kept of anything found including what was found next to it

Tools of the Trade
The tools they use are sometimes very simple Tools include trowels brushes spoons dental picks sieves saws dustpans and wheelbarrows They search each grid very carefully Digging at a site is slow and careful work

Back in the Lab
Once objects are labeled and removed from a site they are taken to a lab relabeled and placed into a database Archaeologists use this information to put together pieces of the past It takes a great deal of education training patience and attention to detail to work as an archaeologist

What is it
The job of an archaeologist is a great deal like the job of a detective Here are some puzzles for you to solve 1 While planting my garden I found a three foot long bone made out of stone Did I find a fossil or an artifact 2 While exploring in the woods near my house I found an old arrowhead Did I find a fossil or an artifact

L earn More
For the answers to these questions click on these links LEARN MORE about Archaeology DRESS UP YOUR HOMEWORK with art created by a professional artist

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