How do Archaeologists Examine the Past?

Archaeological sites are evidence of human activity often associated with concentrations of artifacts. Excavation of archaeological sites is a destructive process requiring systematic removal of soils and artifacts. Archaeological sites are similar to research laboratories where data is collected, recorded, and analyzed. Controlled excavation and mapping of information relative to the soil layers and the artifacts associated with each layer allows archaeologists to search for patterns in past human behavior. They study these patterns and changes in human behavior over long periods of time, as evidenced in the artifacts. The combination of analysis of activities only present in the soil, such as the stains left by cooking, and the artifacts recovered, survive as the archaeological record of a site

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.