Department of Archeology

This department welcomes students at both undergraduate and graduate level. The students are provided with a supportive, enthusiastic, and challenging academic atmosphere which enables our students to achieve their full potential.

The students are learn about a wide range of basic, complicated and detailed issues related to archeology, its history and also practical issues. They also practice excavations in various archeological sites, know how to interpret their findings and many more things during their studies.

What is Archaeology?

Archaeology is the study of past human behavior through the systematic recovery and analysis of material remains or objects. These objects, called artifacts, can be as small as a button or as large as a building. Either large or small, they are the evidence of past cultures. These artifacts are proof of those before us and serve as a physical connection to our past.

Archaeology is divided into prehistoric and historical archaeology. Prehistoric archaeology is the study of cultures that did not have a written language. Although prehistoric peoples did not write about their culture, they left remains such as tools, pottery, ceremonial objects, and dietary refuse. Historical archaeology studies the remains of cultures for which a written history exists. Historical archaeology examines records from the past that include diaries; court, census, and tax records; deeds; maps; and photographs. Through combining the use of documentation and archaeological evidence, archaeologists gain a better understanding of the past and human behavior.

The importance of Archeology

The goal of archaeology is to understand how and why human behavior has changed over time. Archaeologists search for patterns in the evolution of significant cultural events such as the development of farming, the emergence of cities, or the collapse of major civilizations for clues of why these events occurred. Ultimately, they are searching for ways to better predict how cultures will change, including our own, and how to better plan for the future.

Archaeology is not only the study of these broad issues but also provides a history and heritage to many cultures. Nothing would be known of the cultural developments of prehistoric peoples if it were not for archaeology. Additionally, archaeology paints a picture of everyday life for groups such as slaves, coal miners, and other early immigrant workers who were poorly documented by historians.

Today, our culture seems to document everything through books, newspapers, television, and the Internet. However, there is frequently a difference between what is written and what people actually do. Modern media often puts a "spin" on a story that reflects an editorial bias on what has taken place. Although the written record may be tremendously useful, it is biased by the beliefs and mistakes of those who produced them. Archaeology frequently provides a more objective account of our past than the historic record alone.

Our past is our cultural heritage, and how we choose to use this information for future generations is an important role for archaeologists. Understanding patterns and changes in human behavior enhances our knowledge of the past. It aids us in planning, not only our future, but for generations to come. Many people believe that public archaeology is critical to understanding, protecting, and celebrating our rich and diverse cultural heritage. Archaeologists recognize the importance of this role and are developing various mechanisms of media outreach, publications, Internet, and public programs, to publicize the contributions of archaeology.

 

Caring for the Past

Archaeological sites and artifacts on private land in the Commonwealth are the property of the landowner. When they occur on public land or in the path of proposed projects like highways or developments, a number of state and federal laws provide for their study and/or their protection. The intentional excavation or removal of antiquities on public land is a criminal offense forbidden by law. When project construction threatens archaeological sites, archaeologists in the employ of public agencies, consulting firms, or universities work closely with project planners and designers. The archaeologists conduct fieldwork to locate the sites, and preservation of sites in their original location is always the best and first option. When that's not possible, samples of the data and artifacts from the most important sites are carefully excavated prior to construction. The results of these excavations include technical reports, museum collections, public exhibits, films, Web sites, and lesson plans, ensuring that both researchers and taxpayers benefit from our efforts to manage the buried past.

Why Archaeology Matters

Archaeological sites are non-renewable resources; once they're destroyed or excavated by archaeologists, they're gone forever and can't be replaced. The loss is significant. In the end, archaeology isn't about artifacts or excavations or exhibits, it's about people! Our decisions about the future are based on the lessons we learn from those who came before us. The worlds of Native American hunters, Revolutionary War soldiers, 19th century coal miners, pioneer farmers - entire generations of our predecessors and ancestors - can be reconstructed from the things they left behind in archaeological sites. They can still teach us and we can still learn from them. The knowledge and accomplishments of all those past generations are part of our collective heritage as Pennsylvanians. It's a legacy far too valuable to lose.

Archaeology can be a fascinating, fun, and even adventurous hobby or career. But it also holds a more important place in society than many people realize. Not only is it important for historical research, it also has a great deal of community and economic value. Archaeology has the potential to provide new information on the human past, solidify one’s ties to their social or national heritage, and provide economic means to locations all across the world.

 

Educational Importance

One of archaeology’s most important qualities is that it provides historical information on past societies from which we have no written documents. Some societies in the world only have written history for a few millennia, while historical records from other societies, such as those of the Americas, only go back for perhaps five hundred years. Without archaeological investigation, the history of these societies would certainly remain a mystery to us in the present day.

Although it may be very different in many ways, modern society is a direct descendant of past societies. Through archaeology, we have the potential to learn a great deal about who we once were and who we are now as a result.

Archaeology can also help to provide information on groups that have often been neglected in traditional historical accounts, such as ethnic minorities, women, and the working class. As a result, archaeological investigation has the potential to provide new insights on the past and to reshape our understanding of history.

 

Community Importance

Archaeology has the ability to bring communities together in a variety of meaningful ways. Through archaeology, one’s national, cultural, and ethnic identity can be preserved and solidified. All across the world, from nations to ethnic groups to small communities, archaeology has the ability to unite people of a common heritage in ways that nothing else can.

 

Economic Importance

There’s no doubt about it, archaeology is tremendously important to the world tourism industry. Families and friends from all over the world flock yearly to such iconic sites as the pyramids in Egypt, the temples in Greece, Machu Picchu in Peru, and the Great Wall in China. Museums fill up on a daily basis with curious visitors anxious to peer at the archaeological collections on display. As a result, there are local, regional, and national economies all over the world that thrive on the economic benefits that archaeological tourism produces.

 

While this is all well and good, the industry of archaeological tourism is not without its faults. Professional archaeology and the tourism industry share an uneasy existence. While archaeologists often rely on tourism to fund their research efforts, there is a great deal of concern in the field regarding the preservation of sites that are frequented by curious and often careless visitors, and the common dissemination of historical inaccuracies by the tourism industry to make an archaeological site more interesting and coherent for the general public.