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How Do Archaeologists Find Out About Early Peoples?

Archaeologists are scientist who study ancient peoples, and try to understand ancient civilizations by studying the artifacts, ecofacts and features left behind. Artifacts are objects such as tools, figurines and other made objects left behind by ancient people, . Ecofacts are natural objects like charcoal, seeds and bones whose dispersement can be traced to man. Features are how artifacts and ecofacts are placed in relation to each other, like where the charcoal of the hearth is in relation to the remains of the privy, and the seeds of an herbal garden.

Sites
- To study artifacts, ecofacts and features an archaeologist must first find a site to study. A site is a location of past habitation. To get a clearer idea of past societies one should study all the sites in a region rather then a single site because ancient groupings were not always self-sufficient. Trade and mutual efforts did occur. Information from multiple sites better shows how a society interacted and survived in ancient times.
Surveying
- Archaeologist survey areas before choosing sites to explore further, this helps them choose sites most likely to render the most artifacts, and saves the expense of excavating in areas less likely to have supported an ancient culture. When surveying an area, the first consideration is given to what was needed to sustain life such as shelter, food and water sources. If a site could have provided for those needs next they look for mounds, foundations, visible structures and potsherds (pieces of broken pottery). Archaeologists draw maps, make charts and take photographs both on the ground and in the air to pick the most likely locations.
Excavating
- Excavation is the most common means of finding artifacts. After surveying an area, archaeologists will dig test pits (small areas of excavation) to find where the highest concentration of artifacts is. Dirt from the test pits is screened (shaken through a screen to eliminate the dirt) to find pieces of bone, pottery and other artifacts. Test pits can lead them to finding larger areas for excavation on a grander scale, for example if a test pit turns up traces of a wall that wall can be followed and an area that encompasses an entire structure can be discovered.
Dating
- Artifacts can be used to date sites. Dating sites allows archaeologists to establish a sequence of events in an area, a region and the world. Carbon dating is the prevalent form of dating artifacts. All living things absorb carbon, but over time, carbon 14 is lost. By testing to see how much carbon 14 remains in an item, we can discover its age. Other forms of dating are dendrochronology (the counting of rings in trees and objects made of wood), obsidian hydration (the counting of layers in objects of obsidian), and thermo-luminescence (the brightness of burning a bit of clay reveals the age of the object).
Inference
- Trends in artifacts can reveal trends in lifestyles. If nearly all the artifacts in an area are utilitarian then it was likely the people of the site were mainly concerned with survival. When items of luxury begin to accumulate, it reveals that lifestyles are moving more toward thriving then just surviving. Increases of items beyond that needed for use, such as a cache of pottery or jewelery can tell us that these items were meant for trade or tithe. Interpreting the collection of artifacts found can reveal the lifestyles, activities and business of an ancient society.

Artifacts