Archaeology is the study of the material remains of past human behavior. Unlike many popular misconceptions, archaeologists neither wear pith helmets nor pillage valuable artifacts, but are instead multidisciplinary scientists intent on reconstructing past human activities and developing an understanding of the human condition. Although there is nothing quite like the thrill of making an archaeological discovery, much of what archaeologists do involves intensive, goal-oriented research in the field, in the laboratory, and in the library.
Archaeology is part of the larger discipline of anthropology.
Although the things we dig out of the ground are often the subject of public fascination, such as what you might experience through a National Geographic article or television show, much of archaeological research is directed towards understanding what makes us human. For example, some archaeologists investigate why human cultures change, while others are interested in how humans interact with the environment or why human societies engage in warfare. Most archaeological research is therefore focused on solving larger anthropological problems, but unlike cultural anthropologists, who study living people, archaeologists study societies that lived in the past. This course explores the development of humanity beginning millions of years ago, while focusing on the multidisciplinary methods and theories employed in archaeology. We begin with a brief examination of the place of archaeology within the larger discipline of anthropology, and then review basic principles of archaeological research.