archaeology adventures

The Archaeological Process

The process of archaeological research and investigation is often a destructive process because, once you begin digging at a site, you destroy the layout and locations of the artifacts and other features that you recover as you excavate.  For this reason, the work involves very careful and thorough recording and organizing of everything that is done so that  information about the dig site is accurately produced and preserved.  The study or analysis and interpretation of this information by the archaeologist is the most important end result of the archaeological process, not the artifacts or architectural remains themselves, as exciting and interesting as they may be.  The process involves much more than just digging, however. Here are the basic elements or phases of the archaeological research process:

1. Preliminary research and formulation of research objectives (the reason for digging or investigating a site);

2. Survey of site(s) (to determine the scope of the dig or investigation and the dig methods);

3. Developing the grid plan and layout of the dig units;

4. Excavation;

5. Processing finds;

6. Analyzing and interpreting the finds and results;

7. Writing and publishing the report(s) about the project.


      

Learning Resources

Here are some excellent sources of information about the archaeological process and related subjects:

1. Archaeological Institute of America: Archaeology 101

2. Archaeological Institute of America: Teacher Lesson Plans

3. Smithsonian Institution: The Human Origins Program offers an excellent introduction to anyone interested in Early Man and the discovery process associated with it.