The Work of an Archaeologist

The Work of an Archaeologist

1. Archaeology

   • the study of the past from material remains
   • material remains are mainly artefacts and buildings

2. Artefacts

   • Objects made by people
   • E.g. Spears,coins,pots and rings

3. Prehistory

   • The history of people before writing was invented
   • In Ireland prehistory is 7000BC to AD 400

4. Finding sites

   • Below Ground
     • Chance Discovery
     • Stories from History
     • Aerial Photography
       • Crop Marks
     • Underwater Excavation
   • Above Ground
     • Part or all of remains seen above ground

5. Excavation

   • The Dig
     • Draw Accurate Plan
     • Mechanical Diggers for topsoil
     • Map out grid of squares
     • Dig the ground carefully with trowels
     • brushes and sieves
   • Keeping records
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6. Conservation

   • The protections and preservation of ancient objects so that they don't decay
   • History and archaeology contribute to tourism in Ireland

7. Dating

   • Radiocarbon Dating
     • When an animal or person dies the carbon-14 decays
     • Also called carbon-14 dating
   • Stratigraphy
     • Oldest layers at the bottom
     • Youngest layers at the top
   • Coin and Pottery
     • Dates or heads stamped on them
     • Other items found with them form the same time
   • Tree-Ring Dating
     • The more rings, the older the tree
     • Also called dendrochronology
     • Record of tree-ring growth in Queen's University