Archaeology Excavation Essay

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Many people commonly associate archaeology with Indiana Jones, a risk taking adventurer who seeks distant lands to gather treasure. Booby traps and aggressive natives also concord with this instinctive fantasy. This is often not at all the case. Archaeologists are attributed to have curiosity, passion, determination and critical thinking skills. They take an unknown area of history and think to ask questions that no one has ever attempted to answer. How an archaeologist excavates an archaeological site is moderately straightforward but why an archaeologist excavates an archaeological site is slightly more complex. In this essay I will explain the physical side to an archaeological excavation and I will also attempt to break down the barrier …show more content…
An archaeologist’s challenge is to grasp ‘a better understanding of our own interactions in the material world.’ (Lewis R. Binford 1983) To understand why we as humans today act in the specific way that we do is to naturally go back to see how humans behaved in the past. Information which reiterates human behavior in modern society, specifically certain behaviors which are present in multiple cultures across the globe such as domesticating animals or having a certain number of rules in a cohesive society. Often going back and researching even the earliest of humans archaeologists can gather significant answers to assist their arguments. Human beings are a naturally curious creature who often need many of life’s questions answered in order to live comfortably in this world. Archaeologists could be labeled the most curious of the entire species. They physically pursue the answer many only ponder every once in a while. Why do humans prefer living among one another? Why do we place rules amongst ourselves? Why do we build huge industrial buildings which could potentially ruin the planet? You can guarantee that these answers are all locked away in the past and this is likely to be one of many reasons why an archaeologist decides to excavate an important

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