What is archaeology?
The prehistoric and historic peoples of South Dakota are all around us, and they speak to us in different ways. The most recent of our ancestors have left us their traditions and written histories, and we feel we know them very well. Ancient peoples, though, left us no written history. They are only shadows to us, dim and hard to understand. They have left us a message in the earth, though, in the remains and ruins of their homes, camps, workplaces, and towns. Archaeology is our way of reading that message and understanding how these peoples lived. Archaeologists take the clues left behind by the people of the past, and, like detectives, work to reconstruct how long ago they lived, what they ate, what their tools and homes were like, and what became of them. Archaeologists learn these things from the study of what people have thrown out or left behind–stone tools such as arrowheads and scrapers, animal bones, seeds and charcoal, pottery, glassware, and old cans, for instance. Archaeol
Archaeology is the study of past cultures based on scientific analysis of material remains, including written documents. It is a way to understand our common heritage. Both prehistoric and historic archaeological sites are part of Indiana’s heritage. They are a unique source of information about the people who lived before us. Prehistoric sites and artifacts are the only record of the many cultures that existed before written accounts. In southwestern Indiana, prehistoric archaeological sites represent ancient Native American cultures. The ancient peoples had diverse lifeways rather than a single culture, and they differed from the historic tribes encountered by the first Euro-Americans to visit this region. Historic archaeological sites provide key information not included in written records. This is the “below ground” component that surrounds most historic structures. Archaeological evidence includes artifacts, features, and sites. Artifacts are objects that were made or used by peop
The prehistoric and historic peoples of Iowa are all around us, and they speak to us in different ways. The most recent of our ancestors have left us their traditions and written histories, and we feel we know them very well. Ancient peoples, though, left us no written history. They are only shadows to us, dim and hard to understand. They have left us a message in the earth, though, in the remains and ruins of their homes, camps, workplaces, and towns. Archaeology is our way of reading that message and understanding how these peoples lived. Archaeologists take the clues left behind by the people of the past, and, like detectives, work to reconstruct how long ago they lived, what they ate, what their tools and homes were like, and what became of them. Archaeologists learn these things from the study of what people have thrown out or left behind-stone tools such as arrowheads and scrapers, animal bones, seeds and charcoal, pottery, glassware, and old cans, for instance. Archaeologists al
