Archeology studies ancient civilizations through their material expressions.
Archeology is the science that studies ancient societies based on their material remains . Through the analysis of objects and works built by ancient people, this science can reach conclusions about their culture and ways of life.
People who dedicate themselves to studying the past within the framework of this science are known as archaeologists . Their work consists of reconstructing the life of ancient populations from the material manifestations they have left behind . Thanks to various techniques developed over time, archaeologists can "read" objects and learn from them various aspects of human behavior in the past. The study methodology helps them place the various objects found in a specific time and space, in order to analyze them within a particular context .
Although traditional archeology focuses on Prehistory and the Ancient Era , in recent decades archaeological technique has been applied to more recent periods, such as the Middle Ages and the Modern Age . There is also another branch of archeology that aims to study more recent times; It is known as industrial archeology and its analysis focuses on the inspection of urban waste.
Branches of archeology
The most important branches of archeology are:
* Ethnoarchaeology (dedicated to studying a living society based on its production of material artistic works)
* Contextual archeology (focuses its study on the associations that may exist between various objects and the way in which each one influenced the life of society)
* Cognitive archeology (studies the thought forms and symbology of peoples of the past based on the material remains found)
* Experimental archeology (bases its study on the reconstruction of materials from the means used in ancient times, in order to understand their functioning and the limitations they presented)
* Landscape archeology (an attempt is made to understand what the environment in which the people to be studied lived and the way in which they interacted with it) was like.
* Archaeometry (through physical-chemical techniques that are applied to the object of study, in-depth analyzes can be established about their construction, the characteristics of their materials and the way in which they were manipulated)
* Holistic archeology (analyzes the abstract and intellectual aspects of a society to understand it thoroughly. Through the notions of politics, art, ecology, etc. that distinguished that human group, you can thoroughly understand the way in which they lived and understand the priorities of each group)
An expert in archeology is known as an archaeologist.
Linked concepts
There are various terms related to archeology , some of them are:
* Archaeological prospecting : consists of the exploration of a territory in search of material remains of a society .
* Archaeological site : these are those places where remains of a settlement have been found and the perimeter is delimited for study. The sites are usually hidden underground, especially if the culture being studied is very old.
* archaeological excavation: es una actividad que debe realizarse con mucha delicadeza dado que sólo puede realizarse una vez en cada espacio geográfico. Cada excavación de este tipo debe ser autorizada y abalada por una institución competente. Los encargados de realizarla suelen ser personas especializadas, capaces de identificar los objetos valiosos de los que no lo son y de establecer conexiones entre los restos y la cultura que los ha dejado.
* laboratory work: consiste en el análisis de los restos obtenidos. Una vez que se ha realizado la excavación arqueológica con éxito, los objetos son trasladados a una nave donde, valiéndose de una serie de herramientas tecnológicas, los científicos pueden analizarlos y sacar conclusiones acerca de su procedencia.