Archaeology is the science that studies the physical remains of the human past. Left, Archaeologists excavating the Native Alaskan Village Site at Fort Ross. Right, Professor Kent Lightfoot, an archaeologist, pointing to the excavated remains of an old Russian sauna he discovered at Fort Ross. Left, Archaeologists excavating Russian bricks in old orchard at Fort Ross. Right, Close-up of orchard excavation.
Archaeologists investigate the past by digging in the ground to see what they can find.
When archaeologists dig, it is done very carefully so that everything that is found can be recorded. Archaeologists use all kinds of tools. First, the surface of the ground is carefully mapped using a transit. The ground is divided into squares like the squares on a chess or checkers board. Every square is given its own number.