What is Archaeology?

1 archaeology is the single most powerful tool toknow, understand, and explain the entire humansaga from our earliest ancestors to modern socie-ty. Thus, archaeology can and does make substan-tial contributions to modern life. archaeology hasevolved from the glorified treasure hunting of itsearly days to be a sophisticated social science, withfar-reaching explanations of human behavior. Con-sequently, when professional archaeologists, likeourselves, discuss the profession with the generalpublic, as we attempt in this article, there is somevalue to covering the entire discipline, with itsinherent amounts of archaeological researchare conducted with public support and funding,although, in general, members of the public remainunfamiliar with the process and goals of archaeolo-gy.

2 Yet, to effectively manage and preserveAmerica s archaeological resources, public involve-ment is critical. To address misconceptions and tounderscore the complexities of archaeology , thisarticle seeks to provide a definition what archaeol-ogy is that is accessible to Do You Think archaeology Is?When you hear the word archaeology certainimages probably come to mind. Some people thinkartifacts are archaeology , and that the homes andoffices of archaeologists must be strewn with arrow-head collections and the like. Others think this isarchaeology when they stand atop a mound atEtowah or Ocmulgee. Still others think archaeol-ogy when they gaze at treasures in museum dis-plays.

3 Actually, none of these truly represents thearchaeologist s archaeologists are excited by, interestedin, and curious about artifacts and ancient con-structions, archaeologists seek to understand theinterplay of life, of society, of daily chores, of spe-cial rituals, of social and political power, and ofwhy a community or region was abandoned or set-tled. In this article, we ask you to stop and reflecton the accuracy of the images and ideas you holdabout what archaeology is. Does an archaeologistview the discipline differently? archaeology is the Study archaeologists begin a discussion like thiswith a definition: archaeology is the study of the mate-rial remains of our human past.

4 While that definesthe term, it does not fully capture the magnitude ofarchaeological inquiry. Today s archaeologists canbe very sophisticated in both the questions they askof material remains and the answers they generatewhen they interpret that evidence. In this essay, wedismantle that textbook definition and discuss itone part at a time. We hope this clarifies the defi-nition of archaeology , and gives insights into theunderlying concepts of archaeology , including itsmethods and an academic discipline, archaeology has aninteresting history. To some scholars, it developed 15 Harris and Smith co-direct Arch ofacts( ), a small, Atlanta-based research groupspecializing in archaeological research and education.

5 They have worked in Georgia archaeology since the is Archaeology? How Exploring the Past Enriches the Presentby Jennifer Freer Harris and Charlotte A. Smithfrom geology, while to others archaeology is an out-growth of other disciplines, including anthropolo-gy, history, or geography. Still others have arguedthat archaeology stands alone as its own archaeologist views the profession with hisor her own theoretical assumptions, often is one of ours: archaeology and archaeologicaltheory are part of anthropology. While specific ques-tions about cultural chronology and detailedreconstructions of the past are within the realm ofarchaeological method, the archaeologist s overar-ching objective is to define and understand widercultural processes.

6 Generating those explanatorymodels of human behavior is part of all archaeologists agree that archaeology is apart of anthropology. Indeed, at the annual meet-ing of the Society for American archaeology inApril 2001, over 100 archaeologists gathered for anafternoon to debate this issue in an open and their society, whether it is the pres-ent-day relationship between Kurds and the Iraqigovernment or between the Incas and their envi-ronment 2000 years ago, are within the realm ofanthropological study. Anthropologists examinehuman behavior in all its contexts: geographic andenvironmental, societal, political, economic, andcognitive or cultural.

7 Archaeologists track andexplain change in all of these spheres, at multiplelevels or scales, and over sometimes lengthy peri-ods of time. Thus, archaeology is a tool for con-ducting anthropological research into past soci-16 Early Georgia volume 29, number 1 Envision a scenario that many archaeologists encounterat least once in their careers: you are introduced as such ina social setting, facing the inevitable reaction of at leastone person: Ah, you re a real-life Indiana Jones! Howexciting! Your new acquaintances mean well and are enthusiasticabout furthering the conversation, trying to learn moreabout this unusual discipline, the people who work in it,and, most importantly, the artifacts you dig up.

8 You tryhard not to bristle at the movie reference and they try notto look disappointed when you tell them that your interestis in human settlement patterns and the information theyprovide. They are openly dismayed to learn that you donot collect artifacts from the field at all. They are disillu-sioned that you do not dig anything, instead you walk overlarge tracts of land looking for signs of previous humanactivity. They are confused to learn that you leave thematerial remains you do encounter right where they are,after noting their regain some sparkle in their eyes when theyinquire about where you do your fieldwork some-where exotic, surely, like Egypt or , no, you work in the United States.

9 Georgia,actually. In fact, your latest project was in the while, the sparkle is fading from their eyes. Righthere? In their own backyard? There s nothing excitingabout that!Or is there?Many people maintain a romantic vision of whatarchaeologists do, where they conduct fieldwork, andwhat group of people they try to do, in fact, take part in an excitingfield, but they experience that exhilaration from thequestions they ask about humankind and the unex-pected answers they discover. They re excited whenthey discover, not an artifact, but a new way of look-ing at human behavior. That intensity can happenwhether they are investigating prehistoric politicalboundaries in the prehistoric Southeast or working ona remote excavation in the Middle East.

10 An archae-ologist s questions are about people past, present andfuture, our similarities and our is the myth of the heroic treasure-seeker soharmful? If non-archaeologists conceive of archaeolo-gy as focused on artifacts, they remain unaware of theanthropological investigations that frame the ques-tions archaeologists ask. Often, this can translate intoa lack of concern for funding for archaeologicalpreservation, educational outreach, and the public does not grasp the serious issuesarchaeologists explore, then why should they takeresponsibility for learning more about theirlocal, national and international heritage?