The self-sustained colony came to house one of the Paradine , a being capable of stopping the Abyss so the Magog, the self-proclaimed harbingers of the Spirit of the Abyss , set out to destroy it. Dylan Hunt learned he was one of the Paradines on Arkology. Arkology was a massive orbital habitat roughly 36 km 22 miles long, 8 km 5 miles wide, with a , km , miles orbit anchored into an asteroid. The colony itself posesses a gravity generation system and slipstream propulsion.
Apparently the slipstream was used long ago to move the station into place and hasn't been used since. The station possessed no weapons or defenses leaving it at the mercy of the Abyss when the Magog attacked. Arkology was home to peace loving people including Nietzscheans, Humans, and other species. Nglish: Translation of archaeology for Spanish Speakers. Britannica English: Translation of archaeology for Arabic Speakers.
Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! Log in Sign Up. Save Word. Definition of archaeology. First Known Use of archaeology , in the meaning defined at sense 1. Learn More About archaeology. Time Traveler for archaeology The first known use of archaeology was in See more words from the same year. Style: MLA. English Language Learners Definition of archaeology. So-called Clovis point s establish the Clovis people as one of the first inhabitants of North America.
Archaeologists have dated Clovis points to about 13, years ago. A subdiscipline of prehistoric archaeology is paleopathology. Paleopathology is the study of disease in ancient cultures.
Paleopathology is also a subdiscipline of historical archaeology. Paleopathologists may investigate the presence of specific diseases, what areas lacked certain diseases, and how different communities reacted to disease. By studying the history of a disease, paleopathologists may contribute to an understanding of the way modern diseases progress.
By studying the teeth of ancient people, for example, paleopathologists can deduce what kinds of food they ate, how often they ate, and what nutrient s the foods contained. Historic archaeology incorporates written records into archaeological research.
One of the most famous examples of historic archaeology is the discovery and decipherment of the Rosetta Stone. The Rosetta Stone is a large slab of marble discovered near Rashid, Egypt, by French archaeologists in It became an important tool of historic archaeology.
The stone is inscribed with a decree made on behalf of Pharaoh Ptolemy V. The decree was written and carved into the stone in three different languages: hieroglyphic, demotic , and Greek. Hieroglyphics are the picture-symbols used for formal documents in ancient Egypt. Demotic is the informal script of ancient Egypt. Before the discovery of the Rosetta Stone, Egyptologist s did not understand hieroglyphics or demotic. They could, however, understand Greek.
Using the Greek portion of the Rosetta Stone, archaeologists and linguists were able to translate the text and decipher hieroglyphs. This knowledge has contributed vastly to our understanding of Egyptian history. Historic archaeology contributes to many disciplines, including religious studies. The Dead Sea Scrolls , for instance, are a collection of about documents.
The tightly rolled parchment and other writing sheets were found between and in 11 caves near Qumran, West Bank, near the Dead Sea. Discovery of the scrolls has increased our knowledge of the development of Judaism and Christianity. A subdiscipline of historic archaeology is industrial archaeology. Industrial archaeologists study materials that were created or used after the Industrial Revolution of the s and s. The Industrial Revolution was strongest in Western Europe and North America, so most industrial archaeologists study artifacts found there.
One of the most important sites for industrial archaeologists is the Ironbridge Gorge in Shropshire, England. The River Severn runs through the gorge , and during the Industrial Revolution, it allowed for the transport of raw material s such as coal , limestone , and iron.
Other Disciplines Ethnoarchaeologist s study how people use and organize objects today. They use this knowledge to understand how people used tools in the past. Archaeologists researching the ancient San culture of southern Africa, for instance, study the way modern San culture functions.
Until the midth century, the San, maintained a somewhat nomadic lifestyle based on hunting and gathering. Although the San culture had evolved significantly, archaeologists studying the tools of the modern San could still study the way ancient San tracked and hunted animals and gathered native plants.
Environmental archaeologists help us understand the environmental conditions that influenced people in the past. Sometimes, environmental archaeology is called human paleoecology. The forest grew as the climate became wetter. Experimental archaeologist s replicate the techniques and processes people used to create or use objects in the past. Often, re-creating an ancient workshop or home helps experimental archaeologists understand the process or method used by ancient people to create features or artifacts.
One of the most famous examples of experimental archaeology is the Kon-Tiki , a large raft built by Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl. In , Heyerdahl sailed the Kon-Tiki from South America to Polynesia to show that ancient mariner s, with the same tools and technology, could have navigate d the vast Pacific Ocean. Forensic archaeologist s sometimes work with geneticist s to support or question DNA evidence. More often, they excavate the remains of victims of murder or genocide in areas of conflict.
The Killing Fields are the sites of mass grave s of thousands of victims of the Khmer Rouge regime of the s. After the fall of the Khmer Rouge, forensic archaeologists studied the remains of the bodies in the Killing Fields, discovering how and when they died. The forensic archaeologists helped establish that the Khmer Rouge used starvation and overwork , as well as direct killing, to silence opponents of the regime.
Archaeologists working in the field of cultural resource management help assess and preserve remains on sites where construction is scheduled to occur. Archaeologists working as cultural resource managers often collaborate with local governments to balance the infrastructure and commercial needs of a community with historic and cultural interests represented by artifacts and features found on construction sites.
Where to Dig? Most archaeology involves digging. Wind s and flood s carry sand , dust and soil , depositing them on top of abandoned features and artifacts. These deposits build up over time, burying the remains. Sometimes catastrophe s, like volcanic eruption s, speed up this burial process. In places where earth has been carved away—like in the Grand Canyon in the U. Cities and communities also tend to be built in layers. Rome, Italy, has been an urban center for thousands of years. The streets of downtown Rome today are several meters higher than they were during the time of Julius Caesar.
Centuries of Romans have built it up— medieval home on top of ancient home, modern home on top of medieval home. Establishing a dig site in an inhabited area can be a very difficult process. Archaeologists looking for an ancient Roman fortress , for instance, may have to first excavate a Renaissance bakery and medieval hospital. Because most artifacts lie underground, scientists have developed methods to help them figure out where they should dig. Sometimes they choose sites based on old myth s and stories about where people lived or where events occurred.
The ancient city of Troy , written about by Greek poet Homer as early as BCE, was thought to be a work of fiction. Using the Iliad as a guide, German amateur archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann discovered the ruins of the city near the town of Hisarlik, Turkey, in Sometimes, archaeologists use historical map s to find ancient artifacts.
Before securing a site, an archaeological team surveys the area, looking for signs of remains. These might include artifacts on the ground or unusual mounds in the earth. New technology has greatly increased their ability to survey an area. For example, aerial and satellite imagery can show patterns that might not be visible from the ground.
Other technologies give clues about what lies under the surface. These techniques involve radar and sonar. Radar and sonar technologies often use radio wave s, electrical current s, and laser s. Archaeologists send these signals into the earth. As the signals hit something solid, they bounce back up to the surface. Scientists study the time and paths the signals take to familiarize themselves with the underground landscape. Accidental finds can also lead archaeologists to dig sites. For instance, farmers plowing their fields might come across sherd s of pottery.
A construction crew might discover ruins beneath a building site. Another monumental discovery was made by accident. In , agricultural workers in Xian, China, were digging a well. The complex includes 8, life-sized clay soldiers, horses, chariot s, and artillery , popularly known as the Terra Cotta Warriors.
The archaeological research surrounding the Terra Cotta Warriors has provided insight on the organization and leadership style of Qin Shi Huangdi and the development of Chinese culture. Once a site is chosen, archaeologists must get permission to dig from the landowner.
If it is public land, they must obtain the proper permit s from the local, state, or federal government. Before moving a single grain of dirt, archaeologists make maps of the area and take detailed photographs. Once they begin digging, they will destroy the original landscape, so it is important to record how things looked beforehand. The last step before digging is to divide the site into a grid to keep track of the location of each find.
Then archaeologists choose sample squares from the grid to dig. This allows the archaeological team to form a complete study of the area. They also leave some plots on the grid untouched. Archaeologists like to preserve portions of their dig sites for future scientists to study—scientists who may have better tools and techniques than are available today.
For example, during the Great Depression in the s, programs to create jobs led to many archaeological digs around the United States. Some scientists on these digs removed artifacts, such as pottery, but threw away charcoal and animal bones. These items were considered junk. Today, scientists are able to carbon-date the charcoal and analyze the bones to see what kinds of animals people were domesticating and eating at the time. It is important that archaeologists today keep some parts of each site pristine.
Not all archaeology involves digging in the earth. Archaeologists and engineer s work with sophisticated technology to probe the earth below without disturbing the ground. National Geographic Emerging Explorer Dr. Albert Yu-Min Lin leads an innovative archaeological project centered in Mongolia.
The Valley of the Khans project is using digital imaging , aerial photograph y, radar, and digital surveying to locate the tomb of Genghis Khan. Using satellite technology, Lin and his team can access information about the project without disturbing the land or even going to Mongolia. The Big Dig The process of researching and securing a dig site can take years. Digging is the field work of archaeology. On occasion, archaeologists might need to move earth with bulldozer s and backhoe s.
Usually, however, archaeologists use tools such as brushes, hand shovels, and even toothbrushes to scrape away the earth around artifacts. The most common tool that archaeologists use to dig is a flat trowel. A trowel is a hand-held shovel used for smoothing as well as digging. Archaeologists use trowels to slowly scrape away soil. For very small or delicate remains, archaeologists might also dig with dental pick s, spoons, or very fine blades.
Often, they will sift dirt through a fine mesh screen. Tiny remains, such as beads, can often be found this way. Archaeologists take lots of notes and photographs along each step of the process. Sometimes they include audio and video recordings. Global positioning system GPS units and data from geographic information systems GIS help them map the location of various features with a high level of precision. When archaeologists find remains, they are often broken or damaged after hundreds or even thousands of years underground.
Sunlight, rain, soil, animals, bacteria , and other natural processes can cause artifacts to erode , rust , rot , break, and warp. Sometimes, however, natural processes can help preserve materials. For example, sediments from floods or volcanic eruptions can encase materials and preserve them.
In one case, the chill of an Alpine glacier preserved the body of a man for more than 5, years! Forensic archaeologists studying his body were surprised to learn that he was a murder victim—the crime just took place more than 5, years ago. Uncovered Artifacts As artifacts are uncovered, the archaeological team records every step of the process through photos, drawings, and notes.
Once the artifacts have been completely removed, they are cleaned, labeled, and classified. Particularly fragile or damaged artifacts are sent to a conservator. Conservators have special training in preserving and restoring artifacts so they are not destroyed when exposed to air and light.
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