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Archaeology For Beginners

Archaeology is the study of the history, living styles, cultures and customs of past human civilizations. Archaeologists investigate and document structures, tools, art, clothing from the past, and create reports, comparisons and theories about the nature and purpose of what they find. These methods are the ways that we learn about people of the past.

Theories
- Archeologists are responsible for developing and testing theories about ancient civilizations. These theories include trying to explain the origin and development of these past civilizations, as well as the purpose of various materials, such as tools and structures, that were used by them.
Information
- Archaeologists must gather information from onsite digging investigations, as well as from interviews with people and from documents of research that can give further insight into a civilization of the past. All of the information compiled is what archaeologists use to make theories about the past.
Articles
- Sometimes archaeologists are the very first people researching an ancient civilizations, so their observations and reports are essential to help propel further research. Articles are written by archaeologists to help sort out information and develop theories, and they are also used to help other people study social and cultural aspects of an ancient civilization.
Work
- Archaeologists are generally required to obtain a minimum of a bachelor's degree in anthropology or archaeology to work as a professional archaeologist. Museums, colleges, universities and government agencies are the primary employers for archaeologists. Teaching positions are sometimes available for trained archaeologists who have a doctorate degree.

Artifacts