Should government invest more into archaeology?

Governments should invest more into archaeology.

Also, some sponsorship possibilities must not be ignored. Private companies should be encouraged to sponsor archaeological researches.

In the beginning of this century, most of the countries invested into archaeology very much because they were in need of evidencing that their nation existed many times before. These days, many countries are not in need of finding a "national history". That's why, the money resources of archaeology being decreased. But we need archaeology and we must find some more money for it. If it is not the government, there should be another kinds of sources.

What do I need to become an archaeologist?

You need to be graduated from a university's archaeology section to become an archaeologist. It's just a job...

If you want to excavate or make some surveys; field research, in most countries you need a permission from the state. If you want to study some archaeological find in the museums, you also need a permission to enter the museum's "secret rooms".

Does archaeology prove the Bible?

Give me just a little piece of archaeology, I can prove you that the god exists and I can also prove you that the God doesn't exist too.

Archaeology can be taken as proves for anything. Eg.: In 1920 and 1930's with the "archaeological record" Marxist archaeologist Childe proved that primitive communal societies existed. And with the same material, another archaeologist who inspired Adolf Hitler, Cossina proved the existence of a "herrenvolk". They both used the same archaeological data.

How did archaeology start as a field of discipline?

It started nearly 500 years ago as an interest to the different kinds of objects.
1533- King Henry VIII, hired first "archaeologist" as antiquities clerk.
1612- First "archaeological" excavation at Rome by Howard.
1690- First Paleolithic artifact found in London. It was a biface.
1718- First NGO about history: Society of Antiquaries (London).
1738- Excavations at Pompeii and Herculaneum.
1744- First excavations in northern Europe: Zealand tumulus in Denmark.
1759- British Museum founded.
1784- First excavations in north America: President Jefferson excavated Monticello.
1797- First correlation between Paleolithic stone tools and animal bones.
1799- Rosetta Stone discovered.
1817- First systematic exhibition: Thompsen arranged Danish museum according to his "three age system" which is still in use (Stone, Bronze and Iron ages).
1833- Stratigraphy rules by Lyell about geology.
1839- Discoveries of Mayan cities in central America.
1842- First systematic Paleolithic excavation: Abbeville.
1854- First ziggurat excavation at Mesopotamia: Ur.
1856- Neanderthal man identified.
1859- Darwin published Origin of Species.
1865- First appearance of word "Prehistory" by John Lubbock.
1879- Paleolithic paintings at Altamira Cave discovered.
1884-1908- Excavations by Schilemann (at Tiryns), Vesselovskii (at Maikop), Evans (at Knossos) and Vasic (at Vinca).
1921- Homo erectus fossils found.
1922- Grave of Tutankhamon opened by Carter.
1922- Sumerian civilization to be popularized
1924- Discoveries of first great civilizations in India.
1925- First published synthesis about prehistory by Gordon Childe: The Dawn of European Civilization.
1926- Leakey started researching in eastern Africa.
1948- Braidwood's Jarmo excavations make nature scientists and archaeologists work together.
1949- Radiocarbon (C-14) dating invented and used to date archaeological materials by Libby.
1952- First underwater excavations by Cousteau.
1959- Olduwai finds in Africa.
1974- Chinese terra cota army discovered.
1991- Ice man "Otzi" discovered in Alps.
1994- Chauvet Cave discovered.

Archaeology started as a research for roots of Middle age civilization in the Roman and Greek civilizations. It's the beginning of Classical Archaeology. European researchers started to search the holly places that are written in the Bible. This is the beginning of Near Eastern archaeology. With the Industrial Revolution, geology started to develop and it is the beginning of prehistoric archaeology. With the 20th century, every national state in Europe started to search their roots. So archaeology became more complicated and sponsored by the governments.
Source(s):

ArkeoAtlas 1 (2002): 28.

Archaeology and carbon dating? How can I become archaeologist and can I find job?

To become archaeologist, you need to study archaeology in the university (in USA anthropology).

Archaeologists study ancient cultures and it has some sub-sections like prehistory (before the invention of writing), protohistory (after invention of writing), classical archaeology (Greek and Roman civilisations) and middle age archaeology.

Main method for archaeologist is to excavate and then analyze the artifacts. If archaeologist finds a piece of wood or an organic material like this, he/she sends it to chemistry laboratory for carbon dating.

There are not very much job for the archaeologist. Usually they work in the universities and museums. If there are some, archaeologists can find job in consulting companies.

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What is everyday work for an archaeologist?

Normally, archaeologist excavates. In some private archaeology companies, there are two different kind of archaeologist: One in the field and one in front of the table.

In the universities, scholars excavate only in the summer when the universities are in the summer vacation. Then archaeologists come to the laboratories and start analyzing the materials. After this process archaeologist should write one or more articles to share his/her research results with the scientific society and the public.

One of the most important part of archaeologist's work is to read. Because, as a scientist archaeologists must keep their information up to date about other sites and new discoveries.

In a normal excavation, just one campaign lasted about a month, you can collect tons of things to analyze. There are different specializations among the archaeologists, such as lithic, pottery, metal atc. specialists, archaeozoologists and archaeobotanists. So everybody analyze the different material. One should collect everybody's work and put the things together in a publication.

So there are a lot of work to do, even you don't excavate everyday...

Dating techniques in archaeology

Archaeologists use relative and absolute dating techniques to find the age of an artifact.

Relative techniques include:
Cation Ratio
Cultural Affiliation
Fluorine Dating
Obsidian Hydration
Patination
Pollen Analysis
Rate of Accumulation
Seriation
Varve Analysis

Absolute techniques include:
Archaeomagnetism
Astronomical Dating
Dendrochronology
Electron Spin Resonance (ESR)
Fission Track
Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL)
Oxidizable Carbon Ratio (OCR)
Potassium- Argon Dating
Racemization
Thermoluminescence Dating
Uranium-Thorium Dating

See: http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/archaeology/dating/

How did a concept in chemistry led to advances in archaeology?

Before the 1950s, archaeologists had no opportunity to think about absolout dates about the cultures they concerned. After W.F. Libby invented the C-14 dating, it all changed the archaeology (and also he got Nobel Prize for it). Because with this method, a trustable timescale added to archaeological data which had changed almost all theories.

Before the invention of that chemical method, all chronologies were relative. As archaeologists saw a piece of pottery (for example) more primitive than the other, they put that to an earlier era than the other. But with C-14 dating, it became possible to undenstand that it could be at the same age or even younger. Today more than 100 chemistry laboratories serving archaeologist with C-14 dating.

The C-14 is not the only chemical method that helps the archaeologist. It is the most important but there are many other chemistry methods in use today. For example, it is now possible to understand what some containers included before they have been burried under the soil, and also chemistry helps archaeologists and conservationist to protect and reconstruct their findings.

What type of scientist examines fossils and remains after the Archaeologist bring them in?

Fossils are usually the subject of paleontology. Archaeology does research about cultures of past humans. Paleoanthropology is a science that usually concerns with fossil humans...

So if you want to study animal fossils, go for paleontology...
... for human bones, paleoanthropology...
... for cultures, archaeology...

Archaeology is always buried, is the earth getting bigger?

There is always the same amount of material in the world. But it can be changed and moved. Eg. there will be always the same amount of water (even it's polluated or at the icesheets or oceans or clouds)...

Archaeological sites are usually burried because ancient people move earth on them. So that didn't change the amount, it just change the place...

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What is archaeology?

Archaeology is everything about the past. Today we have different kinds of scientific disciplines about our life. For example, economy, sociology, architecture, engineering, philosophy. Archaeology does the same job with all these, but just a little difference: its the past.

Main research method for the archaeologist ist excavation. We have a lot of fun when we excavate, and also it's physically very hard to excavate. In these days, archaeologists haven't got adventures like Indiana Jones. But there is still more to enjoy. For me, I like to see different parts of my country and I have this change with archaeology. I live in a big citiy, and go to a little village every summer for my job. Probably the best part of archaeology is travelling.

If you have some more questions about archaeology, maybe English pages of my website can help you. Go to my profile and see the address.

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How come archaeological finds are so far down? Roman ruins are often under 6ft of earth - why?

This is totally about the situation of the site. Usually archaeological sites are being buried with the later settlements. Usually these sites are founded in strategically good places, then people choose to settle down there many times through the history.

Burying is also a ritual for some societies. For example, some prehistoric people buried their houses and temples before they leave the settlement. This could be a kind of religious activity.

For Turkey, as an archaeologist living in Turkey, I would say, this is also same in Turkey too. As far as I understand you have seen one example about the depth of mosaics in Turkey. But there are many more sites which are deep under the soil too. This is totally according to the situation of the site again. If people choose to live there very long time, the depth of the soil increases. If people leaved and did not settle there again, the depth of the soil decreases.

Are humans animals or aliens?

According to Linnaeus classification of living world, human beings are among the vertebrates and we are in the group of primates where our neighbors are chimps, gorillas and orangutans. It's true! Genetic evidences show 99.6% of human and chimpanzee DNA are the same. Like the cat and the lion, we are relatives with the apes. But this DOESN'T mean that they are our ancestor. We are cousins...

For me, accepting that human beings are animals is not a hard thing because we live the same way: we eat with the mouth, we see with the eyes, we walk with the foot... etc. So where is the difference? We are the same.

Can carbon-14 be used for objects older than 50 million years?

No. Half-life of carbon-14 is nearly 500 years. For that reason its limit is just 50 thousand years. As far as I know, dating of 100 milion year old "something" is hard. Because you can always have some (maybe 1-3 milion years) uncertainity. For dating that object you can use potassium -argon, uranium-238, thermoluminesce and electron spin resonance.

What are excavation methods in archaeology?

There are many excavation methods. First of all, it will change according to your period of interest. For example, you cannot usi the same method in a Roman site and in a Paleolithic site.

Anyway, there are three main excavation methods used in archaeology. These are, grid system, open-area system and "chess-board" system.

But keep in mind that, every archaeological site has its own solution for excavating system.

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What is the next step in evolution for human beings?

To disappear! It's clear that only two and half milion of evolution is not a very long term for other animals. But I suppose that the man lived very fast. With the nuclear weapons it won't be easy to survive if people elect bushlike presidents.

How do you explain the Noah flood in the Persian Gulf?

Sea-level changes during the Pleistocene is a very sensitive subject because we cannot generalize any situation. As far as I know, sea-level changes due to the ice sheets have greater effect in inner seas like Black Sea, and smaller effects in the oceans. Level of the Black Sea was very low in the glacial maximum. But at that time, there is not such big change in the sea-level at the Persian Gulf because of its connection with the ocean.

Of course there are some changes all around the world. But they are not the same everywhere.

Possible origin of the Noah story, is just a speculation. It has no relation with the modern science. Recent researches in the sea of Marmara, showed alluvials at the southern part of the Bosphorus. That means the "big flood" did not existed in the Black Sea area. There are some excavated Bronze Age sites in Bulgarian Black Sea coast. But there are much more all over the world. All settlements of the fishers before 5 thousand years are underwater now.

What is paleoanthropology? Can I find job as a paleoanthropologist?

Paleoanthropology is a scientific discipline that works on human evolution. It mainly studies the bones of fossil hominids. But also first stone tools of the Paleolithic times are the subject of that discipline.

But you can't find job easily. All over the world it not easy find a job in this subject. Only the universities and museums need anthropologists. But I believe the world need that job very much. While fossil records are difficult to find and easily destroyed, we need more paleoanthropologists.

Do you believe that we came from the apes?

We do NOT come from the monkeys. As I did not give birth to my cousins (and neither they gave me), none of the living monkeys became human. BUT we have very close relation, they are our cousins. That means we have a common ancestor.

As in modern biology classification, the horse and the donkey are in the same family. And we are in the same family with gorilla, orangutan and chimps because we are relative.

Charles Darwin never wrote that we came from the MODERN monkeys. But some people, who never read his books coincidally misunderstood his theories about human evolution.

When did the Paleolithic people settle?

This question has many different answers for every part of the world. Paleolithic, let's say hunter gatherer societies, which is nomad and depended on natural resources, lived up to 4-5 thousand years ago.

We can define Neolithic as village life and agriculture.

First Neolithic villages are found in southeastern Anatolia and northern Syria and Iraq. All these first villages dated back to 10-12 thousand years ago. In central Anatolia there are some Neolithic sites too which are dated to the same period. There is no use of pottery at that time, for that reason it's called "pre-pottery Neolithic" by prehistorians.

After the "collapse" of pre-pottery societies we see a migration movement out of this "core" region of village societies. This wave of migration reached western Anatolia and the Balkans 7-8 thousand years ago and reached western Europe nearly 4 thousand years ago.

In Japan, Paleolithic people settled in the Paleolithic. This is called "Jeitun culture" (24 thousand years ago). But when they actually became Neolithic they returned to nomad life.

In Americas, people started to settle 5-6 thousand years ago. As far as I know, it started in the Central America.

But we must keep in mind that when some people started to settle, there had been a lot of people who rejected this lifestyle and stayed Paleolithic.

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How can I find an archaeology job?

It is absoloutely right that most archaeologists can find jobs only in the universities or museums. But in some countries, like Holland and Germany, there are many archaeology consulting companies. These companies offer good jobs for archaeologists.

To find job announcements, check this out:
http://www.eculturalresources.com/

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How did apes become human?

We are close relatives with the apes. None of the living apes will become human some day, and none of them is our ancestor. But we have a common ancestor which probably lived 7-8 million years ago. Than our branches separated. We became human and they became chimps, gorillas etc.

Anybody, including pre-school children, can see that we are looking like them (or contrary). As one can accept that the horse and the donkey, or the cat and the lion are relatives, our relation with the modern apes is the same.

Apes became humans... Why did not some apes become human?

According to classification of animals first made by C. Lineaus, human is a member of primates team, hominid family. This classification is still in use in modern biology. All living animals are relatives. Because life was firs appeared and evolution made it diversified. Closest relatives of us are chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans. We are members of hominoid class.

The idea which says that apes became human buy evolution is just A LIE that creationists say. They say that because they want to make evolution misunderstanded by the public.

But NONE of the evolution theorists nor Darwin (he lived in 19 century!) have said this. They always say that we are relatives with all animals. Modern DNA research also proved that. 99,6% of our genes are same with chempanzees, 96% of our genes are same with mice. This proves that we all have same ancestors.

THAT ALSO MEANS THAT NONE OF THE APES, BECAME HUMAN BY THE TIME. Our ancestors are not apes, but we have the same ancestor nearly 7-8 million years ago. Probably we had a common ancestor with mice some 20-25 million years ago, and with the cow or dog (or any other mamalian) some 40-50 milion years ago.

Any little child at the age of 5-9 can understand that we are looking like apes (or contrary). They are our cousins (ATTN: My cousin can NOT be my father).

Evolutionists NEVER said that. Only creationists say that kind of lies. Because they are afraid of science, light, truth...

At Yahoo Answers, why doesn't archaeology have its own category like anthropology?

In the USA, archaeology is under anthropology. In Europe and most of the world archaeology is an independed discipline. Yahoo Answers is originated in the USA. So they didn't think we can visit it outside of the USA :)...

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Do you think the human race will end up?

In fact we have no more time!

Just think, as archaeologist Robert J. Braidwood wrote before, if we see all history as a one day, it is now one to midnight. Human groups living in Africa made first stone tools only one minute ago. Jesus was born just 1 second ago. Roman empire, Middle Ages all were in one second time.

Before that one minute, it was the evolution of mamalians, reptiles, other livin creatures. Before 3-4 hours ago, there was no life on earth.

So, we should understand that, we just see a small part of our earth's adventure. We think 70-80 years is a lot of time. Yes it is, but only for us. It's nothing for the earth, which is nearly 4-5 bilion years old. It's nothing if we compare human evolution. First humans apeared 2.5 milion years ago.

Dinosours lived the timespan between 180-65 milion years. That were their time. But the earth changed, and they disappeared.

Human will disappear too. The earth is changing faster. We change it. And it's not a success. We kill other living creatures. And everyday one specie disappears because of our pressure on the nature.

After, 10-20 milion years, maybe a understanding creature will see our remains as a greyish ash layer in a geological statigraphy (as we see Miocene like this today). Maybe they will find atomic bomb explosions too. But we will disappear. But the life in earth will continue. I believe.

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