Some of us like to think of
archaeologists as swashbuckling heroes who rescue history's treasures
from the bad guys. You know, Indiana Jones.
In reality, archaeologists usually do
not fit the image of Indiana Jones that we get by watching “Raiders
of the Lost Ark.” They are important folks though because they
help us find out how people lived in the past. Without
archaeologists, much of the history of human beings would be unknown
to us.
Archaeologists use artifacts, tools,
bones, buildings, and other remains they find in order to study the
way humans lived in the past. For example, an archaeologist can
carefully dig up (excavate) the remains of a house that was lived in
thousands of years ago and tell a lot about the culture of the people
who lived there. The way the building was constructed can give clues
as to how advanced the culture was. Artifacts discovered in and
around the building such as pottery, baskets, tools, and fire pits
can also provide information about how the people lived.
Archaeology and archaeologists are
particularly important when studying a culture that did not have a
written language (a prehistoric culture). There really are not many ways to learn about a prehistoric culture without the use of archaeology.
But, archaeologists are still quite
important and useful in studying cultures with a written language (historic cultures)
because they have the training and expertise to recover the remains
of the culture – perhaps even the writings themselves. For
example, if new Maya ruins were discovered in Central America, an
archaeologist would know how to best excavate, catalog, and connect
any buildings or other artifacts to our existing knowledge of the
Mayas. The same would be true of Roman, Greek, Egyptian, or any
other civilization with writing.
So, while there may be archaeologists
that wear a cool hat and carry a whip, most of them are just hard
working scientists who help us learn about and reconstruct the past.
Thank goodness for them!