Descride the role of Archaeology

Archaeology means the study of human culture through using  cultural remains and other cultural phenomenon this means we need cultural remains in order to study archaeology since without using cultural remain no study of archaeology. Human being have a culture this make important of study it became people need to know their culture and need to understand about their origin  through using cultural remains of the past even the present remains.

Archaeology occurs 2.5 million years ago when hominids (human like creature) started to use tools the later name change to human instead of hominids, when human started to use tools it was the source of culture. It can be evidenced when man started to use stone tools example when the famous paleoanthropologist Mary Leakey discovered stone tools as used by oldowan in olduvai Gorge , it indicated that those remains was used for hunting small animals it show that community engaged in hunting Staeck(2002:165). Therefore the following are the roles of archaeology.

Archaeology it preserve and manage the past, this is because archaeological resources are nonrenewable materials when they destroyed it disappear, and lost forever hence they should be preserved in order to be used for cultural and historical reason that explain the human past. Therefore archaeologist is ethically and professionally bound to preserve a record of the past for the benefit of future generations. It is potential then for them the carefully weigh the value page 63 of what they might learn through.

This preservation depends on the soil and general climatic regime in the area of a site. In organic objects like stone and backed clay, often survive almost indefinitely. But organic materials such as born, woods, leather survive only under exception conditions such as dry climate, in Parma frost areas, and when water logged. The surviving picture of the past obtained from excavations is often confined to inorganic materials, the main aim of preservation is that to prevent ancient human behavior can be disappear as well as cultural diversity (Fagan, page 161) Therefore the artifacts like building houses (Huts) archeologist preserve them for the purpose of archeological studies examples preservation of ceremonial artifacts that can be treasured for generations, being displayed only on special relic hut. Like heirlooms sacred relics of Bemba tribe in central Africa which included ceremonial iron gongs and bow stands that were at least 200 years old tragically, There were political destroyed protestors in the early 1960s another preservation area is tomb of Tukankhamum as archaeological amazing in Egypt 1343 B.C ,  in this burial chamber was opened found that grave furniture, goide, woodchests. Cloth, ivory caskets, model of chariots in the Beginning; course toward urban life. Newyork: Rinking Fund page 132-146.

This attempt at reconstructing pre historic life ways those human cultures is over changing system in relation to environment or space and time.

It explain cultural process, archaeology try to explore in details how, why, and when certain cultural phenomenon happened in the process it explain pre historic societies in their stage at cultural evolution example from early stone age by indicating why changes occurs, how it occurred and when it happened. Since human tools are seen as part as system of related phenomenon that include both culture and natural environment, archaeologist try to design their research work within a frame work in order to find ways in which human population do the things others system do.

Example in Stone Age is a broad of pre historic period where stone was widely used to make implement with a point surface. The period lasted roughly 3.4 million year ago and ended between 6000 B.C.E and 2000B.C.E Fagan. The cause changes in human culture and how they affect one another. History of man artifacts like axes, bows and arrow. Example ancient Egyptian civilization began with the unification at upper and Lower Egypt into single state but the pharaoh Horus-Ahain about 3200 BC.

It explains about reconstruction of culture history, an archaeologist working on the culture history of on area describes the pre-historic culture of a region. This done through study of sites and the artifacts and the structure in them in a temporal spatial context activity in descriptive accumulating minutes chronological and spatial frameworks of archaeological times; it reconstructed by building up local sequence of archaeological works of changing human cultures.

Fagan (1985) argued that archaeologist can legitimately deal only with the material remains of ancient human behavior example the discovery of pieces of red slip pottery in the ancient city of Pompeii, The role of this civilization in trade and commerce of Mediterranean region was altered. Early or assumed that the people from the Pompeii imported pottery from other settlement, but this find proved that the people of Pompeii used local pottery too. (Trigger 1967).

          Examination and classification of material evidence; after an archaeological site has been chosen and team of experts employed, UN anything of artifacts begins. All artifacts found must be carefully labeled, numbered and classified for further analysis to determine origin and meaning .This allows archaeologist to reconstruct the entire dynamics of a precious culture.

           Archaeology, survey and recovery of materials culture, also the primary role of archaeology is to determine a site for the surveying and recovery of evidence pertaining to a previous culture comprises many things made and used by people. Material culture studies anybody analysis of technology, social organization, history and religion. This result in archaeology interfacing with related science such as geology, chemistry, social, psychology and zoology.

           Archaeology provides a constant reminder to our common, place and recent, biological and cultural heritage in a world where racism is the common place through study of human artifacts it is not only of ancient behavior, but of cultural diversity as well. Example early historic American society was very much more diverse than we often realize .Archaeologist Kathleen Decagon   that the first free African-American community in North America. There is tiny hamlets of some 37 families, 3.2Km from Spanish St. Augustine  on the  Atlantic coast, was found in 1738, and occupied until the Spanish abounded  Florida in 1963. In the heyday, the settlement of 22 thatched houses, a churches, and a well lay behind earthen fortification many of the inhabitants were of west Africa origin and used not only African artifacts but object of English, native America  and Spanish origin: Hence the study of Archaeology is fundamental to make clear awareness about our common of mankind origin through use of artifacts as cultural materials used by humans these such as stone tools, pottery and metal weapons.

 Explaining the past ways of life, the study of archaeology it explain the past awys of life through the use of remains which indicate the culture change over time due to adaptation to  specific environmental condiotion from early stone age, middle stone age and late stone age,  all these context supplied by the time and space related to interplay  among the changing pattern of human settlement, subsistence strategies and ancient environments. Example Robert  Braidwood  study about early history of agriculture in the  Zagros mountains of the near  East, he recovered evidence of domesticated animals as early as 6000B.C and based on the new theory of origin of food production on more precise environment also Richard mac Neish worked closely with botanist as he traced the history of early maize in the Tehuacan valley in mexico (Macneish, 1970) it’s about, how maize started to be cultivated after 5000 B.C.

 Archaeology also provide the public education, archaeologist seeks to let the public know what they have finding, what those findings means and what archaeology real about, the society provided education to be aware on preserving those collected artifacts for the purpose of the archaeological study for future generation to understand the past events by the actual evidences that the past that were collected and preserve in the site. Generally aim to provide education is sought to preserve the resource around their homes and farmers once people know what is archaeology are looking for and understand what they do not intend to take their land cause them problems, then a strong positive relationship often development, it also aimed to create awareness of the damage thoughtless development and archaeological education include community outreach, films lectures.