Before understanding what archaeology is about, it may be helpful to understand what archaeology is not about. The following section presents some common myths about archaeology and explains why they are incorrect. A paleontologist is a scientist who digs for and studies fossils including dinosaurs.
Archaeologists study past peoples and their ways of life.
Dinosaurs were extinct for millions of years before people lived on the earth. A geologist is a scientist who studies rocks and minerals. Many artifacts are made of rock and archaeologists sometimes need to know rock types in order to understand its history. Archaeologists do not dig for gold and treasures and rarely find anything that could be sold to make money. Almost everything archaeologists find has only scientific value.