archaeology

American  

[ahr-kee-ol-uh-jee] / ˌɑr kiˈɒl ə dʒi /

Or archeology

noun

1. the scientific study of historic or prehistoric peoples and their cultures by analysis of their artifacts, inscriptions, monuments, and other such remains, especially those that have been excavated.

2. Rare. ancient history; the study of antiquity.

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archaeology British  

/ ˌɑːkɪəˈlɒdʒɪkəl, ˌɑːkɪˈɒlədʒɪ /

noun

1. the study of man's past by scientific analysis of the material remains of his cultures See also prehistory protohistory

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archaeology Scientific  

/ är′kē-ŏl′ə-jē /

1. The scientific study of past human life and culture by the examination of physical remains, such as graves, tools, and pottery.

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archaeology Cultural  

1. The recovery and study of material objects, such as graves, buildings, tools, artworks, and human remains, to investigate the structure and behavior of past cultures. Archaeologists rely on physical remains as clues to the emergence and development of human societies and civilizations. Anthropologists, by contrast, to interact with living people to study their cultures.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• archaeologist
  noun
• archaeological
  adjective
• archaeologically
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of archaeology

First recorded in 1600–10, archaeology is from the Greek word archaiología the discussion of antiquities. See archaeo-, -logy

Explanation

If your idea of excitement is sifting dirt to find bits of pottery, chances are that you're an archaeology enthusiast. Archaeology is all about understanding the past by analyzing material culture — that is, objects shaped by human hands. The Greek suffix -ology ("the study of") should be familiar. Consider the word biology: bios is Greek for "life," so biology is "the study of life." Arkhaios is "ancient." Thus, archaeology is "the study of ancient things." Early archaeologists tended to seek sensational finds — like Howard Carter, who found King Tut's tomb. Contemporary archaeologists are generally more concerned with reconstructing the lives of everyday people through careful analysis of mundane artifacts — like tools and feeding utensils.

Example Sentences

Donovan’s concern was not so much the preservation of ancient relics as it was the regional expertise and cover that archaeology provided for gathering intelligence.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 2026

A onetime “Cary Grantish darling of New York debutante balls,” Young pursued archaeology at Princeton and Columbia, joining the American School of Classical Studies in Athens in 1933.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 2026

Perhaps this rather blunt picture might become more nuanced too, as we learn more fine-grained details of what happened from archaeology and ancient DNA.

From Science Daily • May 30, 2026

Published in Nature Communications, the research combines archaeology, ancient DNA analysis, isotope studies, and skeletal evidence to reconstruct how people lived, moved, ate, and buried their dead roughly 3,000 years ago.

From Science Daily • May 19, 2026

Led by Bass and staffed by scientists, researchers, engineers, and people from many other disciplines, the INA has been a leading force in underwater archaeology.

From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler

Related Words

• excavation
• paleontology