How did Michel Foucault’s archaeological method study historical ideas?

Michel Foucault’s archaeological method was a way of studying historical ideas by treating the body of statements produced and accepted as true at any given moment as if they were artifacts at an archaeological site.1

Rather than focusing on the intentions of authors or the evolution of "eternal" concepts, Foucault used this method to analyze the structure of discourses and their more inclusive systems, known as épistémès. By examining these historical "sites," he aimed to:1

• Reveal local qualities: He demonstrated that conceptions of being human were not universal but were inherently local, varying significantly across different times and places.1
• Identify ruptures: He sought to show the frequent abruptness with which certain ways of thinking came into being and passed away.1
• Analyze subjectivation: He explored how individuals were classified and shaped into specific types of "subjects"—such as "normal" or "deviant"—within these historically specific frameworks.1

While this "archaeology of knowledge" allowed Foucault to map how ideas were organized, he eventually moved toward "genealogy" to better account for the complex dynamics of power and historical contingency.1