考古学(Archaeology)

archaeologyisasourceofhistory,notjustabumbleauxiliarydiscipline.archaeologicaldataarehistoricaldocumentsintheirownright,notmereillustrationstowrittentexts,justasmuchasanyotherhistorian,anarchaeologiststudiesandtriestoreconstitutetheprocessthathascreatedthehumanworldinwhichwelive-andusourselvesinsofarasweareeachcreaturesofourageandsocialenvironment.archaeologicaldataareallchangesinthematerialworldresultingfromhumanactionor,moresuccinctly,thefossilizedresultsofhumanbehavior.thesumtotaloftheseconstituteswhatmaybecalledthearchaeologicalrecord.thisrecordexhibitscertainpeculiaritiesanddeficienciestheconsequencesofwhichproducearathersuperficialcontrastbetweenarchaeologicalhistoryandthemorefamiliarkindbaseduponwrittenrecords.notallhumanbehaviorfossilizes.thewordsiutterandyouhearasvibrationsintheairarecertainlyhumanchangesinthematerialworldandmaybeofgreathistoricalsignificance.yettheyleavenosortoftraceinthearchaeologicalrecordsunlesstheyarecapturedbyadictaphoneorwrittendownbyaclerk.themovementoftroopsonthebattlefieldmay"changethecourseofhistory,"butthisisequallyephemeralfromthearchaeologist＇sstandpoint.whatisperhapsworse,mostorganicmaterialsareperishable.everythingmadeofwood,hide,wool,linen,grass,hair,andsimilarmaterialswilldecayandvanishindustinafewyearsorcenturies,saveunderveryexceptionalconditions.inarelativelybriefperiodthearchaeologicalrecordisreducetomerescrapsofstone,bone,glass,metal,andearthenware.stillmodernarchaeology,byapplyingappropriatetechniquesandcomparativemethods,aidedbyafewluckyfindsfrompeat-bogs,deserts,andfrozensoils,isabletofillupagooddealofthegap.