What are the advantages and disadvantages of archaeological exploration?
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The advantages of archaeology are many. It can teach us so much about the past. Especially the way the average person lived. We know the history of the great figures, but not nearly as much about how the average person lived. Archaeology can fill in those blanks of history. As the late archeologist, James Deetz said “The past can be seen most fully by studying the small things so often forgotten”.
The disadvantage is that archaeology is a destructive process. When excavating a site the archeologist is essentially destroying it. Sure, large structural remains such as foundations are often left intact, but generally when a site has been excavated, it’s gone forever.
That is why archaeologists painstakingly document every step of the process. Photographs, drawings, measurements to the fraction of an inch. Artifacts uncovered are documented precisely as to what depth and location they were found. Artifacts are often labeled so that future archaeologists can virtually reconstruct the site. Even if separated from the collection, the label written on an artifact will pinpoint where it was uncovered.
Because it is a destructive process, on larger sites archaeologists will often leave a portion of the site unexcavated, preserving it for future archaeologists with hopefully better technology, techniques and a more thorough understanding of the site.
The advantages of archaeology are many. It can teach us so much about the past. Especially the way the average person lived. We know the history of the great figures, but not nearly as much about how the average person lived. Archaeology can fill in those blanks of history. As the late archeologist, James Deetz said “The past can be seen most fully by studying the small things so often forgotten”.
The disadvantage is that archaeology is a destructive process. When excavating a site the archeologist is essentially destroying it. Sure, large structural remains such as foundations are often left intact, but generally when a site has been excavated, it’s gone forever.
That is why archaeologists painstakingly document every step of the process. Photographs, drawings, measurements to the fraction of an inch. Artifacts uncovered are documented precisely as to what depth and location they were found. Artifacts are often labeled so that future archaeologists can virtually reconstruct the site. Even if separated from the collection, the label written on an artifact will pinpoint where it was uncovered.
Because it is a destructive process, on larger sites archaeologists will often leave a portion of the site unexcavated, preserving it for future archaeologists with hopefully better technology, techniques and a more thorough understanding of the site.
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