Archaeology

Introduction
History of archaeology
- The Mediterranean and the Middle East
- First steps to archaeology
- Developments in the 20th century and beyond
Fieldwork
- Preliminary work
- Excavation
- Underwater archaeology
Interpretation
- Classification and analysis
- Dating
- Historical judgments

References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images & Videos

The video thumbnail image shows a white woman walking by a wall that says "You are on Native land."

Exploring the world's oldest known gold mine

Experience the archaeological excavations of the Undo Cave, a paleolithic site in Georgia

Learn about the archaeological excavations of a 19th-century prison site on Spike Island, with a focus on the daily lives of ordinary convicts

Diving into the mystery of a 2,000-year-old shipwreck

Uncovering Christian graves from the Middle Ages

At a Glance

archaeology summary

Quizzes

Ancient Egyptian carving of Pharaoh Seti I holding his flail before the god of the underworld Osiris with Horus behind him. Abydos Temple, Egypt. Ancient carving, on public display for 2,000 years

Archaeology: Great Discoveries Quiz

The caves of Qumran on the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea, in the West Bank. The site of the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were first discovered in 1947.

More Archaeological Discoveries Quiz

Three flint axes from the stone age. (prehistoric, tools, early humans, culture, archaeology, implements)

More Archaeology: Digging and Scraping Quiz

Related Questions

How can fluorine analysis show that bones from one layer were buried at different times?
How can starch grains found on stone tools reveal foods used by past people?
How can surface artifacts reveal the age and purpose of an archaeological site?
How did Champollion’s decipherment of Egyptian writing advance Egyptian archaeology?
How did improved excavation methods help archaeologists identify successive mud-brick building levels in Mesopotamia?
How did petrological analysis show that Stonehenge stones came from Wales?
How do animal bones and plant remains help archaeologists study ancient farming and animal husbandry?
How do archaeologists decide whether excavated buildings should be preserved or covered again?
How do archaeologists investigate a large site without excavating all of it?
How do archaeologists recover charred plant remains from ancient hearths and middens?
How do archaeologists use aerial photographs to locate ancient sites?
How do planned excavations differ from rescue excavations?
How do pollen grains reveal information about plants near an ancient settlement?
How do tells form in the Middle East?
How does an archaeological survey prepare researchers for an excavation?
How does archaeology differ from history in the evidence each field uses?
How does archaeology differ from paleontology?
How does archaeology help reconstruct the lives of past human societies?
How does cross dating help archaeologists date an undated site?
How does ground-penetrating radar help archaeologists find buried features?
How does potassium-argon dating help date early human remains in East Africa?
How does radiocarbon dating determine the approximate age of organic materials?
How does stratigraphy help archaeologists establish the order of occupation at a site?
How has archaeology traditionally been connected to the humanities in Europe?
How is archaeology connected to anthropology in the United States?
How was the Lascaux cave discovered in 1940?
How were the first Dead Sea Scrolls discovered?
Which kinds of objects and structures can serve as archaeological evidence?
Which scientific fields contribute techniques to archaeological research?
Which specialists may work together on an archaeological excavation team?
Why are Troy and Ur examples of tell sites?
Why are field notes and maps essential records of an archaeological excavation?
Why are rescue excavations needed before construction projects begin?
Why can archaeology study societies that left no written records?
Why can untrained excavation damage an archaeological site?
Why did early Mesopotamian excavations often lose important information about where objects were found?
Why do archaeological interpretations often focus on long-term social change instead of single events?
Why do archaeologists classify artifacts by material and shape?
Why do archaeologists record the exact horizontal and vertical location of every find?
Why do archaeologists use trowels and brushes instead of only shovels?
Why has the reconstruction of the Palace of Minos at Knossos been debated?
Why is excavation sometimes described as the destruction of an archaeological site?
Why is greater depth below ground not always proof that an artifact is older?
Why was Willard Libby’s development of radiocarbon dating important for archaeology?
What is anthropology?
What are the main branches of anthropology?
How do anthropologists study human societies?
How does anthropology help us understand ancient civilizations?
Why is anthropology important for understanding modern cultures and global issues?
What is geochronology?
What are the differences between relative dating and absolute dating?
How does radiometric dating work?

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External Websites

ABC listen - The Science Show - Why archaeology matters
UNESCO-EOLSS - The History of Archaeology
University of Nebraska Pressbooks - An Introduction to Anthropology: the Biological and Cultural Evolution of Humans - Archaeology and Material Culture
World History Encyclopedia - Archaeology
Social Sciences LibreTexts - Evolution of Archaeology
Society for American Archaeology - What is Archaeology?
The Royal Society Publishing - Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B - Current and potential roles of archaeology in the development of cultural evolutiyonary theor
VIVA Open Publishing - Introduction to Anthropology: A Four Field Approach - Introduction to Archaeology

Britannica Websites

Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

archaeology - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
archaeology - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

Archaeology

anthropology

Also known as: archeology

Written by

Glyn Edmund Daniel

Disney Professor of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, 1974–81; Fellow of St. John's College, Cambridge. Author of A Hundred and Fifty Years of Archaeology and others.

Glyn Edmund Daniel

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Nov. 12, 2026 •History

Archaeology, the scientific study of the material remains of past human life and activities. These include human artifacts from the very earliest stone tools to the man-made objects that are buried or thrown away in the present day: everything made by human beings—from simple tools to complex machines, from the earliest houses and temples and tombs to palaces, cathedrals, and pyramids. Archaeological investigations are a principal source of knowledge of prehistoric, ancient, and extinct culture....

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