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Tools of the Trade
Archaeologists use many different kinds of tools when they excavate a site. One kind of tool is a grid, which is made out of string and nails and is used to divide the site into sections. As they dig, the grid helps them keep track of the exact location of everything they find. Other kinds of tools include trowels to help remove soil, brushes to gently sweep away loose dirt, and screens to filter away dirt so archaeologists can see any small objects. But tools that help archaeologists keep accurate records are just as important. Archaeologists use notebooks, drawings, and photographs to carefully map and record where artifacts are found. When they take the objects back to the lab for analysis, this information helps them reconstruct exactly where they found things in the field.
Definition: the process of digging up remains and artifacts from a past time
Common tools: trowels, brushes, tape measures, buckets
Where: everywhere around the world, even underwater
Name for the location of an excavation: "site"
Most common find: pottery shards (fragments) and stone objects, which preserve well over long periods of time
Purpose: to understand how people lived in the past
Items made with precious materials and gemstones, like jewelry, are the most important artifacts found during an excavation.
Fiction
Today, archaeologists collect almost everything they find because everyday objects like pottery and simple tools can teach us a lot about ancient life.
The artifacts and ruins uncovered during an excavation can help change the way we think about written history.
Fact
Written records don't always completely describe the past. Archaeological artifacts can often help prove or disprove events recorded in history books.
When archaeologists are excavating an under water site, they often mark the site with a grid just like they do on land.
Fact
Marine archaeologists use poles instead of nails and string to set up grids, and draw pictures with crayons on plastic sheets. They also use special waterproof cameras.
As we excavate an ancient site, we are, in a sense, taking it apart. So we have to record everything we do with great care.
Chuck Spencer, archaeologist