Definition of archaeology Archaeology

/ɑˌɹkiɑˈlʌʤi/ - [arkeealujee] - ar•chae•ol•o•gy

We found 6 definitions of archaeology from 6 different sources.

Word comparison

British English

archaeology - /ˌɑːkiːˈɒləd‍ʒi/

American English

archeology - /ɑˌɹkiɑˈlʌʤi/

What does archaeology mean?

WordNet

Noun
archaeology - the branch of anthropology that studies prehistoric people and their cultures
		archeology
		anthropology the social science that studies the origins and social relationships of human beings
		assyriology archeology of the ancient Assyrians
		egyptology archeology of ancient Egyptian artifacts
		sumerology the archeology of ancient Sumerians
		marine archaeology, marine archeology, underwater archaeology, underwater archeology the archeology of underwater sites
		palaeoclimatology, paleoclimatology the study of the climate of past ages
		palaeogeography, paleogeography the study of the geography of ancient times or ancient epochs
		paleography the study of ancient forms of writing (and the deciphering of them)
		palaeopathology, paleopathology the study of disease of former times (as inferred from fossil evidence)
		palaetiology, paletiology the explanation of past events in terms of scientific causes (as geological causes)
		palaeology, paleology the study of (especially prehistoric) antiquities
		protoanthropology, protohistory the study humans prior to the invention of writing
		palaeoethnography, paleoethnography the ethnography of paleolithic humans

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Wiktionary

archaeology (Noun)
The study of the past through material remains. Often focused upon the life and culture of ancient peoples, but also applied to the more recent past. In American usage, one of the four sub- disciplines of anthropology.

Webster DictionaryWebster's Unabridged Dictionary 📘

archaeology (n.)
The science or study of antiquities, esp. prehistoric antiquities, such as the remains of buildings or monuments of an early epoch, inscriptions, implements, and other relics, written manuscripts, etc.

OmegaWiki DictionaryOmegaWiki Dictionary Ω

archaeology
The scientific study of the material remains of the cultures of historical or prehistorical peoples.\n(Source: MGH)

Wikipedia

Archaeology is the study of the past by looking for the remains and relics (historical things) left by the people who lived before us. These are called "artifacts", and can include old coins, tools, buildings and garbage (rubbish). Archaeologists try to work out what these remains mean.

To find these remains, archaeologists often have to dig deep in the ground. This is called fieldwork. When things are found, or even when nothing is found, the results of the fieldwork are taken back to the place where the archaeologist is based, perhaps a University or museum. Every piece of information is written down or put into a computer, so that a picture can be built up. As settlements (places where people lived in groups) change and grow, what went before is often buried. Ancient Rome, for example, is now up to 40 feet (12 metres) below the present city. This is why archaeology is expensive and why it takes so long.

Sometimes archaeologists find the bones of dead people and the things they used, or the houses they lived in. Archaeologists think it is important to understand the past, because so many people use the past to know where they come from.

Archaeologists have many different 'fields of interest', which means they do not all study the same things. Some study Ancient Egypt and are called Egyptologists; others study Ancient Greece, or the Vikings. Archaeologists study every civilization that is known, especially the ones where there is no history to read. They can study any time p