Archaeology – Uncovering Tangible Remains from Our Past

Archaeology is the study of physical remains and artifacts left by past societies. Archaeologists use these tangible recoveries to study various societies and trace the cultural evolution of mankind. To find answers to the questions they study, archeologists participate in geological surveys, excavations, historical preservation, and scientific experiments. Thus, Archaeology becomes a combination of field work, anthropological study, geology, and other disciplines.

There are numerous archaeological finds which cannot be definitively explained by modern researchers. For example, instances of monumental engineering have been studied by archaeologists for years with not conclusive explanation for why or how they were constructed. Among the most prominent examples of this are Stonehenge, the Easter Island statues, and the Mayan ruins. Similarly, large-scale drawings etched into the ground in South America, known as the Nazca Lines, have confounded archaeologists studying the region. On a smaller scale, there exist countless paintings and statues whose identity and purpose cannot be clearly defined by archaeological research.

Some archaeologists have proposed interesting theories to explain mysterious finds. Among the most popular is the paleocontact hypothesis. According to this proposed explanation, extraterrestrial visitors had a significant impact on the archaeological finds we have recovered. Most notably, artifacts depicting religious figures are said to be representations of alien visitors. Thus, it is claimed that various societies’ gods were actually living beings from another planet. Additionally sculptures, such as those found in Peru and Egypt, are believed by some to be representations of spacecraft.

Those archaeologists who focus their efforts on artifacts outside the realm of what can be easily explained are said to participate in cryptoarchaeology. Cryptoarchaologists focus on sites that remain a mysterious part of the historical record. This includes all the aforementioned monumental constructs as well as many others. Cryptoarchaeology also focuses on smaller finds whose purpose cannot be clearly identified. Unfortunately, some items studied within this field, such as the crystal skulls uncovered in the Americas, are considered hoaxes by other scholars. Thus, Cryptoarchaeology is frequently criticized for its use of non-traditional research methods.

Cryptoarchaeology is but one of many sub-sectors in the archaeological field. Another discipline of note is archaeoastronomy, which is the study of how societies have viewed and understood phenomena in the sky. Researchers in this field focus on several types of archaeological finds. For one, they study constructions of the land to determine if a particular location has some astronomical significance. For example, there are theories that the Pyramids of Egypt were built with a connection to specific stars. Archaeoastronomers also study the instruments and tools past peoples would have used to observe the skies as well as paintings and other artwork which reflect astronomical phenomena. In addition to using physical artifacts, archaeoastronomy entails the use of statistics, astrological study, and anthropology.

Archaeology is an intensive field of study. It combines back-breaking field work with scientific research and deductive reasoning. Thus, archaeologists are some of the top scholars in the field of historical research and anthropology. With only a small percentage of archaeological sites having been thoroughly excavated, this field of research continues to grow. With continued study, it is likely that we will gain a more thorough understanding of our historical past and the evolution of the human race.