List of basic archaeology topics

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For a more comprehensive list, see the List of archaeology topics.

Archaeology is the study of human cultures through the recovery, documentation, and analysis of material remains and environmental data, including architecture, artifacts, biofacts, human remains, and landscapes. The goals of archaeology are to document and explain the origins and development of human culture, understand culture history, chronicle cultural evolution, and study human behavior and ecology, for both prehistoric and historic societies. It is considered, in North America, to be one of the four sub-fields of anthropology.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and introduction to archaeology:

Contents 1 Essence of archaeology 2 Branches of archaeology 2.1 Archaeological practice 2.2 Archaeological science 2.3 Archaeological subdisciplines 2.3.1 By location 2.3.2 By time period 2.3.3 Specialites 3 History of archaeology 4 Archaeological methods 5 Archaeological theory 6 Archaeology by Period 7 Archaeological sites 7.1 Archaeological site features 8 Archaeological artifacts 9 Other archaeology concepts 10 Influential archaeologists 11 Archaeology lists 12 See also 13 External links

[edit] Essence of archaeology

Main article: Archaeology

• Archaeological record
• Archaeological science
• Archaeological site
• Archaeological theory
• Artifacts
• Biofacts
• Excavation

[edit] Branches of archaeology

[edit] Archaeological practice

Main article: Archaeological practice

Cultural Resources Management - Archaeological ethics - Urban archaeology

[edit] Archaeological science

Main article: Archaeological science

Archaeometry - Dendrochronology - Isotope analysis - Palynology - Radiocarbon dating - Zooarchaeology - Geoarchaeology - Bioarchaeology - Archaeogenetics - Computational archaeology

[edit] Archaeological subdisciplines

Ethnoarchaeology - Taphonomy

[edit] By location

African archaeology - Archaeology of the Americas - Australian archaeology - European archaeology

[edit] By time period

Industrial archaeology Near Eastern archaeology Biblical archaeology Medieval archaeology

Historical archaeology Post-medieval archaeology Industrial archaeology Contemporary archaeology

[edit] Specialites

Aerial archaeology - Archaeoastronomy - Archaeological science - Archaeozoology - Archaeobotany or paleoethnobotany - Battlefield archaeology - Computational archaeology - Experimental archaeology - Environmental archaeology - Forensic archaeology - Landscape archaeology - Maritime archaeology - Museum studies - Paleopathology

[edit] History of archaeology

Main article: History of archaeology

• List of years in archaeology

[edit] Archaeological methods

Main article: Archaeological methods

Archaeological excavation - Archaeological field survey - Archaeological geophysics - Underwater archaeology

[edit] Archaeological theory

Main article: Archaeological theory

Great ages archaeology - Functionalism - Processualism / "New Archaeology" - Post-processualism - Cognitive archaeology - Gender archaeology - Feminist archaeology - History of archaeology

[edit] Archaeology by Period

Main ariticle: List of archaeological periods

Lower Palaeolithic - Middle Palaeolithic - Upper Palaeolithic - Mesolithic - Neolithic - Chalcolithic - Bronze Age - Iron Age - Romans - Anglo-Saxons - Pre-Columbian - Medieval - Industrial

[edit] Archaeological sites

Main article: Archaeological site

Feature - Cairn - Megalithic tomb - Pyramid - Sepulchre - Tomb - Votive site

[edit] Archaeological site features

Main article: Feature

[edit] Archaeological artifacts

Main article: Artifact

Assemblage - Grave goods - Hoard - Manuport - Sarcophagus - Small finds - Stone tool - Votive deposit

[edit] Other archaeology concepts

Alignment - Archaeological association - Archaeological context - Archaeological culture - Archaeological field survey - Archaeological horizon - Archaeological natural - Archaeological phase - Archaeological plan - Archaeological record - Archaeological sequence - Biofact - Colluvium - Cropmarks - Cultural resources management - Cut - Dark earth - Dating methodology - Dendrochronology - Deposit model - Ecofact - Excavation - Fill - Fossil - Geologic time scale - Geomatics - Grave robbing - Ground-penetrating radar - Harris matrix - King Tut - Law of superposition - Lithic analysis - Post excavation - Projectile point - Radiocarbon dating - Relationship - Seriation - Stratification - Tutankhamun

[edit] Influential archaeologists

Main article: List of archaeologists

[edit] Archaeology lists

Main article: List of archaeology topics

• List of archaeological periods
• List of archaeologists
• List of designations under the Protection of Wrecks Act
• List of famous archaeological sites
  • List of archaeological sites sorted by continent and age
  • List of archaeological sites sorted by country
  • List of Palaeolithic sites in China
• List of prominent paleoethnobotanists
• List of years in archaeology

[edit] See also

v • d • e List resources Topic lists (Basic topic lists) · Glossaries · Countries · People · Timelines

[edit] External links

• The Archaeological section of the Canadian Museum of Civilization
• The Society for American Archaeology
• The World Archaeological Congress
• The Archaeological Institute of America
• The Archaeology Division of the American Anthropological Association
• Archaeological News Updated Daily
• The International Journal of South American Archaeology - IJSA