Historic artifacts include pieces of broken pottery, glass, and metal, as well as architectural fragments such as bricks, concrete, window glass, and nails. Knowledge of when such objects were made and utilized allows archaeologists to reconstruct the lives of the people who used these objects and estimate when they lived in the area. An archaeological feature is an artifact which can't be removed intact from the ground. Features include hearths or mortar holes on prehistoric sites and wells and foundations on historic sites. Archaeologists carefully study features to understand what people did at a site.
Features often reveal the approximate date of occupation as well.
Types of Archaeological Investigations Archaeological projects are undertaken for various reasons. As objects of scientific research , archaeological sites are excavated to obtain information about the people who lived in an area at various times and why their lives changed through time. Careful archaeological excavations can provide information about the lives of prehistoric people about whom little or nothing is known. Excavations also collect information about past living conditions such as how climate has changed, and what plants and animals were eaten for food. Even when historic records are available, historic site archaeology can tell us details that were never written down about people's lives.