Mardin Artuklu University

Department of Anthropology
ANTH 219. Introduction to Archaeological Anthropology
Lecture: 01
Instructor: Abu Bakar SIDDIQ
dipu.manush@live.com

Discussion topics:

 What is archaeology?
 What is archaeological anthropology?
 Origin and development of archaeology
 Scope of archaeology
 Value of Archaeology

1st Hour

What is archaeology?

Archaeology is the study of human past and human culture through material remains. It is a
subfield of anthropology, the study of all human culture. From million-year-old fossilized
human remains to 20th century buildings, archaeology analyzes the physical remains of the
past to understand human culture. Artifacts, faunal remains, and human altered landscapes
are the evidence for cultural and material lives of past societies.

The word “Archaeology” is derived from Greek `archaios‟ meaning “ancient” and `logos‟
meaning “knowledge”. It has been therefore variously defined as „the study of antiquity‟, or
„the science of ancient things‟. But these definitions have only etymological (science of
meaning of the words) significance. It can be more appropriately defined as the „science of
ancient remains‟.

The function of the archaeologist does not just end with the collection of the ancient
remains. It must include an intelligent appreciation and interpretation of these remains. The
word „remains‟ refer to the materials that past human have left behind. Most of the
archaeological remains, therefore, have been discovered from ancient human settlements
which are called „Archaeological sites‟.

Note that all ancient materials are not archaeological remains. One object must have its
cultural relationship in human society or must be used by human to be an „artifact‟ or
„archaeological remains‟. Therefore, all materials from archaeological sites are divided by
„artifacts‟, the production of human activity and „ecofacts‟, the result of natural process.
What is archaeological anthropology?

There are four subfields in anthropology: Archaeological anthropology, Biological

anthropology, Socio-Cultural anthropology, and Linguistic anthropology. With the help of
archaeological anthropology, archaeologists examine material remains of the past human
societies to understand past human behavior and cultural practices.

Both archaeology and anthropology are connected with human beings, whether in the past
or the present. Large quantities of human and animal bones are found in the excavations.
Anthropologists are always associated with the archaeological excavations to study the
human bones understanding age, sex, nature of death and much other information. For
example, examination of the teeth at Mahurjhari, India has revealed the smoking habit of
the people there some 2500 years ago.

On the other hand, Ethnoarchaeology is a type of archaeology that studies the practices and
material remains of living human groups for a better understanding of the evidence left
behind by past human groups. The traditions and customs of the people die hard. The
traditions which are observed by many communities today have their origins in the past. For
example in central India, on a particular day women worship rice shoots planted on a plaque
of mud. A similar custom was depicted on an Indus Valley seal which is more than 4000
years old, revealing the continuation of this custom from those days to the present period.
There are many examples of such customs, especially, in connection with birth rites,
marriage ceremonies and funerary customs. These are only few examples, how
anthropology and archaeology are interrelated, or how archaeological anthropology works.
There are numerous other aspects which could be studied in archaeological anthropology.

2nd Hour

Origin and development of archaeology

In the beginning of the eighteenth century, various scholars started a systematic

investigation of the ancient monuments. They were mainly supplying the historical
evidence of written records. The pioneer of these scholars in France was Nicolas de Fabri
(1580-1637). Probably first systematic excavation of a city site was undertaken at Pompeii
from 1719 onwards, when nobles employed people to collect antiquities. Pompeii was
buried by eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D.79. By the middle of eighteenth century,
several institutions started teaching archaeology in France, Germany, Rome, Italy etc.

Scope of archaeology

The main aim of archaeology is to reconstruct human past, especially when written records
are absent. Even when written records are available, they rarely deal with common peoples‟
activities or various aspects of daily life. Moreover, written records are often found as the
record of land grants, gifts, treaty or the story of kings. Because of this, most of the
inscriptions are of no use in reconstructing the social history. In such situation
archaeologists come to fill the gaps with facts unearthed in ancient settlements, the
archaeological sites.

The story of human culture goes back to more than 2 million years when people started
using stone artifacts for the first time. However, written records are available only for the
past 5,000 years or so. Therefore, archaeology is the only source to understand human
society and culture, beyond this 5,000 years of written history. It has been appropriately
said „wherever human has been on this planet for the last two million years, archaeology
can be of use‟. As a result, archaeologists can best be described as the „detective of the past
cultures‟.

Archaeology is both science and an art. It is a scientifically ordered branch of knowledge on

the remains of ancient human activity. It is a science because it brings out some absolute
unarguable fact. However, as archaeology deals with human activity, there is possibility of
objective and relative thinking as well as possibility of interpretation. Therefore, it can also
be considered as an art.

3rd Hour

Value of Archaeology

AS A PRIMARY SOURCE: Archaeology is the primary source of information for the long
period of cultural evolution since prehistoric time. The history of humankind could be
traced back to two million years only because of archaeology. By a systematic study of the
tools and fossils, we are able to see the nature of human habitat, their implements of defense
and offence, the tool techniques, technology and their way of life. Archaeology is the only
doorway to understand the environment of the Stone Age, human responses and adaptations
to the climate change, domestication as well as the early civilization of the world like
Egyptian, Sumerian and Indus Valley civilizations.

AS A SUPPLEMENTARY SOURCE: Archaeology serves as a valuable supplementary

source for historical period. It fills in the gaps that are found in the written records. For
example, the information available about Urartu kingdom was very limited. But with the
help of recent archaeological research, we have detail information about Urartu kingdom
and the social life under it.

HUMAN HISTORY: Another valuable contribution of archaeology is in the reconstruction

of common peoples‟ history. Most of the historical documents and inscriptions pertain more
to the upper class of the society, whereas the excavations often bring to light the residences
of the common people and the objects used by them. The agricultural equipment, the
carpenters tools and objects of kitchen and daily-life are found in the excavations which
help us in reconstructing the structure and way of life of the society. We rarely find such
information in written records.

RESCUE ARCHAEOLOGY: Several remarkable sites and monuments have been recorded
and preserved for posterity because of the efforts of archaeologists, from the areas
threatened by submergence under dam areas and from modern town constructions. Even
sites threatened by natural calamities also have been taken care of. Few examples the rescue
archaeological work done in the submersible area under the Aswan dam project in Egypt,
Nevali Çori project in Şanlı Urfa etc.

SCIENTIFIC OUTLOOK: Since archaeology provides stratified account of the artifacts and
material achievements, we can have a fairly correct assessment of the progress of
technology and material culture. Imaginary or exaggerated views of the written records give
place to a more factual account of the past cultures. When literature gives a glorified picture
of an ancient town or a kingdom, the archaeological work may act as a corrective source to
such distinctions.