About Archaeology

Archaeology comes from the Greek arkhaiologia, the study of past humans through materials left behind. The term human past needs to be stressed as we do not study rocks or about the remains of dinosaurs, these are left for geologists and palaeontologists. Archaeology starts at the point at which the first artefacts are made by humans like stone tools were being made by humans first seen in East Africa about 2.5 million years ago and continues right up to the present day. Archaeology is all about excavations, the subject that most people associate archaeology with. Archaeology can be also being associated with conservation, and landscape study and experiments. Most archaeologists’ work for local authorities or field units, some work archaeologist’s work in landscape study, museums, archives units, and ordnance survey, lectures or as author of books.

One of the best archaeologists is the armature archaeologists who has more time that can be spent looking at landscape features or sometimes coming across finds and reporting them to the County Archaeology Unit. Most people just enjoy archaeology as a hobby and tend to study in there own time which is nice to see. Some armature spend there own time along side professional archaeologists on digs or taking an active part in washing finds and field walking. Over recent years, archaeology is now becoming a main subject of both armatures and students who wish to study the subject.

Mainly thanks to archaeology being on television that has seen a vast majority taking up the subject in the past couple of years. Employment in archaeology is extremely difficult and is unlike any job is hard to come by. Most archaeologists work for field units or are self-employed. The pay is not good and the glamour is far from what you see on TV, as allot of the work is done behind the scenes that get very little notice if at all. Another point to make is that you can expect to work out in all weathers including snow and rain, from 8 in the morning to 5 at night.

Archaeology has no relationship at all with history. Although, it has some ties when studying the landscape when we would use documentary material to find dates or changes in the landscape. Archaeological evidence is based around gaining as much evidence about human occupation and what documents will mostly deal with is the upper echelons.

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