Archaeology is the study of past human life and culture by analysing the materials left behind from those times; materials would include archaeological sites as well as artefacts such as tools and potsherds. The underlying principle is to investigate how people used to live and how the landscape, vegetation, and climate affected or were affected by them.
The importance of archaeology is perhaps best evident in considering the shortcomings of written accounts as a method of recording history. Writing as it s now known today didn t exist until the 4th millennium BC; therefore, many periods of history are left undocumented. Even in literate societies much of the available archives were provided by the higher classes; therefore they are incomplete and often biased accounts of events and cannot solely be trusted as a source of information. Archaeological findings bridge this gap in knowledge and help to piece together the mysteries of the past.
Archaeological remains have value for a variety of reasons – as well as having political and cultural significance they also hold considerable monetary worth and a strong aesthetic purpose for collectors and historians alike.
Many archaeologists are employed by museums and universities. As well as providing you with interesting and rewarding employment prospects a course in archaeology will also endow you with plenty of facts and anecdotes that would force Indiana Jones lift his hat to you.
