Archaeology 1st Yr

Archaeologists Historians study written sources Archaeologists study artefacts Archaeology is the study of the remains… …left by people in the past They study skeletons, tools, jewelry, weapons.

Sites Site – the place where artefacts are discovered Could be anywhere Midden – an ancient rubbish heap Contains many valuable artefacts Not valuable in money, but in information Food eaten; pottery and weapons used; clothes worn

What is prehistory? Period in time before writing was invented We have no written sources ..so we must study artefacts from this time …if we want to find out about their lives

Choosing archaeological sites Rescue archaeology – when land is being cleared for building or roads Research archaeology – evidence that objects might be there – could come from old documents or maps some artefacts are just found by accident

Famous sites Wood Quay in Dublin (Vikings) Ceide Fields in Mayo (Stone Age farm) Pompeii in Italy (Ancient Rome) The Pyramids in Egypt

Dating artefacts Digging in the ground looking for artefacts Called a ‘dig’ Steps: Preparation – a survey is carried out Aerial photos taken A plan or detailed map is made out The site is divided into squares or grids Each grid is numbered The site is cordoned off with rope

The Dig Topsoil removed by JCB or spades Then layers of earth scraped away A trowel is used Hand-pick loosens soil Must be very careful Sieves used to find small objects in the soil

Artefact Toothbrushes used to clean earth from it Photo taken of the artefact The artefact is labeled and the grid number noted Then put in a plastic bag Brought to lab

Dating artefacts Try to find out how old the object is A number of ways: Stratigraphy – The position of the object in the soil – the deeper it is the older it is Carbon Dating – all living things (plants and animals) contain carbon dioxide – after death the carbon leaks out – by measuring how much carbon is left we can discover how long ago it died Dendrocronology – Can only be used to date wooden objects – each year a tree grows a new ring – age of the wood = number of rings

Soil Even if no artefact is found the soil contains info Dark round patches = post-holes Timber posts used in houses Square dark patch = fireplace

Revision: Sources An eyewitness account The film ‘Michael Collins’ A modern biography of Julius Caesar An autobiography A school history book A photograph A census The novel ‘The boy in the striped pyjamas’

A Dig Write down 8 things that an archaeologist must do at a dig Survey, pictures, cordon off, make grid Remove topsoil, dig with trowels, toothbrush soil away Catalogue the artefact Date it

Q. What problemts might we have in analysing a written source? Bias Prejudice Wrong Information Lies

Dating artefacts Pick one way of dating an artefact and explain it.