A BRIEF HISTORY OF ARCHAEOLOGY

 The exact origins of archaeology as a disciplined study are uncertain because

excavations of ancient monuments and the collection of antiquities have been
taking place for thousands of years.
 Archaeology had its start in the European study of history and in people who
were interested in the past
 However, archaeological excavation is said to goes back to the 16th century
 Among the first sites to undergo archaeological excavation were Stonehenge
and other megalithic monuments in England
 The first known excavations made at Stonehenge were conducted by Dr. William
Harvey and Gilbert North in the early 17th century
 Talking about the modern archaeology, it is much more than earlier “antiquities
collection making”
 It started at the end of the 19th century (1880-90s). At these times, many sites
excavated and the aim of archaeological investigation changed.
 The Father of Archaeological Excavation was William Cunnington (1754–1810).
 He undertook excavations in Wiltshire from around 1798, in collaboration with his
regular excavators Stephen and John Parker of Heytesbury.
 William Flinders Petrie is another man who may legitimately be called the
Father of Archaeology.
 Petrie was the first to scientifically investigate the Great Pyramid in Egypt during
the 1880s.
 The next major figure in the development of archaeology was Mortimer
Wheeler

– He had developed a highly disciplined approach to excavation

and systematic coverage in the 1920s and 1930s brought the
science on swiftly.
– Wheeler developed the Grid System of Excavation, which was
further improved on by his student Kathleen Kenyon.
– The Wheeler-Kenyon system involves digging within a series of
squares that can vary in size set within a larger grid.
 The major technological development in 20th century archaeology was the
introduction of radiocarbon dating
– It is based on a theory first developed by American scientist
Willard Libby in 1949
– Radiocarbon dating and other major types of dating will be
discussed further on the next sides