If I want to specialize in archaeology in the future, what are the physical and intellectual requirements and also what can I do now? I'm in my junior year now.!!! I'm in my third year of junior high

If I want to specialize in archaeology in the future, what are the physical and intellectual requirements and also what can I do now? I'm in my junior year now.!!! I'm in my third year of junior high school! Editor's word Archaeology Archaeology (Archaeology) belongs to the field of humanities, in China is an important part of the historical sciences, the rest of the world is subordinate to anthropology, there are also assigned to the history of art. Its mission is to study the history of ancient human societies based on the material materials left behind by ancient human beings through various activities. Physical materials include all kinds of relics and relics, which are mostly buried underground and must be systematically and completely revealed and collected through scientific investigation and excavation. Therefore, the basis of archaeological research lies in the field investigation and excavation work.

The emergence of archaeology has a long history, but only in modern times has it developed into a science. Modern archaeology was born in Europe, and later popularized in countries around the world. Since the Northern Song Dynasty, metallurgy has been the predecessor of Chinese archaeology, but it was not until the 1920s that modern archaeology, based on fieldwork and excavation, appeared in China. As a modern science, archaeology has a complete and rigorous methodology. It contains branches of prehistoric archaeology, historical archaeology and field archaeology, and has a close relationship with many disciplines in the field of natural and technical sciences, as well as other disciplines in the field of humanities and social sciences.

Archaeology is a humanistic science that studies ancient societies through the excavation and investigation of ancient human relics and documents. Traditionally, archaeology has been a sub-discipline of cultural anthropology, but now it is becoming increasingly independent as a stand-alone discipline.

Archaeologists, unlike historians who study only the historical record, study prehistoric cultures that have no historical record as well, by examining the remains of ancient humans. Archaeologists are dedicated to exploring the origins of human culture.

Name Traceability

Archaeology in Chinese comes from Europe, and archaeology in European texts is derived from the Greek αρχα?ολ?γ?, a word consisting of αρχα?ο? (meaning ancient things or antiquity) and λ?γο? (meaning science), which in Ancient Greece referred generally to the study of ancient history. In the 4th century AD, Plato used this Greek word to refer to the study of ancient history. The word was rarely used for some time, and was reused in the 17th century to denote the study of antiquities and monuments. 17th and 18th centuries mainly referred to the fine arts in antiquity, and in the 19th century to refer to all antiquities and monuments in general.

In China, in the 1st-2nd centuries AD (Eastern Han Dynasty), the term "ancient learning" was already used to refer to the study of antiquity in general. By the middle of the Northern Song Dynasty (11th century), a study of bronze ritual objects and stone carvings was born - jinshi, the predecessor of archaeology. At this time, the words "kao" and "ku" began to be used in conjunction. In 1092 A.D., the book "Archaeological Map" has been the first to use the term "archaeology", but at this time refers to the examination of ancient texts and ancient articles.

Objects of study

The objects of archaeological study are physical objects. Mainly material remains, or relics and relics. And these remains are supposed to be left behind by the activities of ancient mankind. The study of archaeology focuses on the study of the past, including the various materials left behind by past cultures. Therefore, the object of its study belongs to the ancient times before a certain period of time. For example, the lower limit of archaeology in Britain is the Norman invasion (1066), in France it is the overthrow of the Carolingian dynasty (987), in the countries of the Americas it is the discovery of the New World by Columbus (1492), and in China it is generally the fall of the Ming dynasty (1644). In recent years, the emergence of Medieval Archeology in the United Kingdom has pushed the lower time limit to 1640. Industrial Archeology in the Americas, on the other hand, examines remains from the early modern industrial period. All of these lower bounds naturally move backwards in time as we move forward.

Branches of Archaeology and Their Relationship to Other Disciplines

Branches of Archaeology

According to the different chronological scopes, specific objects, means and methods used in the study, archaeology can be divided into prehistoric archaeology, historical archaeology, field archaeology, and various special archaeology and other branches.

Prehistoric archaeology and historical archaeology From the chronological scope of the study, archaeology can be divided into prehistoric archaeology and historical archaeology two branches. Some people also advocate the addition of protohistoric archaeology between the two to become the three branches, but from the practical point of view, the importance of protohistoric archaeology is not as important as the first two.

The research scope of prehistoric archaeology is the history of mankind before writing, and the research scope of historical archaeology is limited to the history of mankind after documenting, and the boundary between the two lies in the invention of writing. In different parts of the world, writing was invented earlier or later, so the age limit of prehistoric archaeology and the age limit of historical archaeology are different in different regions.

Prehistoric archaeology and historical archaeology are both based on relics and artifacts, which is the ****similarity between them. But because historical archaeology must refer to the documentary records, while prehistoric archaeology is not based on any documentary records, so the two research tasks are different. Prehistoric archaeology bears all the responsibility of studying the history of mankind in prehistoric times, while historical archaeology can cooperate with history, complement each other, *** with the study of the history of human society in historical times.

Since prehistoric archaeology is mainly concerned with the study of the Paleolithic and Neolithic (sometimes including the Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age), and historical archaeology is mainly concerned with the study of the Bronze Age, especially the Iron Age, the relics and artifacts studied by the two are somewhat different in nature, and so their research methods are also different. In terms of the relationship with other disciplines, prehistoric archaeology has to be fully integrated with geology, paleontology, paleoanthropology and ethnology, while historical archaeology has to work in conjunction with history, and at the same time has to rely on the branches of paleography, engraving, numismatics, and paleo-architecture. From the means of determining the absolute age, prehistoric archaeology to a large extent to rely on the technology of physics, chemistry and other natural sciences, while historical archaeology relies mainly on the study of documentary records and chronology.

Field archaeology "field archaeology" name, was formally proposed in the early 20th century. But at that time, field archaeology is mainly survey the remains and relics on the ground, relying on maps to conduct investigations, and sometimes based on the results of the survey, mapping, as an attachment to the record. Later, field archaeology around the world turned to excavation as the center, and expand the object and scope of the investigation, the method was gradually improved, and the technology rapidly advanced. Various means of natural science were adopted one after another, and many mechanical devices were used as tools for investigation and excavation. The use of aerial photography and satellite photography, magnetic probing and ground resistance probing methods to find remains and relics, infrared photography and a variety of other special photographic techniques to measure and map, for pollen analysis and a variety of physical and chemical breaks and samples, as well as the excavated remains preserved in the site, etc., all make the field archaeology work to expand the scope of the technology to strengthen. The object of investigation and excavation is also expanded from the general residential sites and burials to roads, bridges, ditches, canals, farmland, urban areas, harbors, kilns and mines and other large-scale sites, which makes it necessary for archaeologists to collaborate with experts in various related disciplines in order to complete a comprehensive and integrated research tasks.

Archaeological research is a whole, field survey and excavation and indoor finishing research has a close connection, can not be divided. However, due to the investigation and excavation work has a complete set of methodology, but also the use of many special equipment and equipment, and to use a wide range of natural science means, which makes the field archaeology has its relative independence. As an important branch of archaeology, it is also a matter of course.

Special archaeology As a branch of archaeology, the use of the name of special archaeology is to distinguish from prehistoric archaeology, historical archaeology, field archaeology and other major branches of archaeology. It includes a variety of branches other than the three major ones mentioned above. Some of them are divided according to different research objects, such as fine arts archaeology, religious archaeology, ancient money science, ancient writing and inscription science, etc.; some of them are divided according to the means and methods used, such as aviation archaeology, underwater archaeology, etc..

Archaeology and ancient art history, often have **** the same information. Many of the objects of study of ancient art history, from the Paleolithic cave murals, petroglyphs to paintings, carvings, statues, various artifacts and shrines, temples and cave temples of various eras, and so on, are relics and relics. Archaeological methods such as typology and chronology are also applicable to the study of ancient art history. However, as a branch of archaeology, the archaeology of art is based on the position of historical science, using various artworks as physical specimens, and the goal of research is to restore the ancient society and culture. There is a difference in principle between art historians who study artworks from the standpoint of aesthetic concepts as ideologies. Since the research object of art archaeology is dated from the Paleolithic Age down to various historical eras, it belongs to the scope of both prehistoric archaeology and historical archaeology. And because of the relics and relics of a variety of works of art from the field investigation and excavation work found, so the archaeology of art and field archaeology is also quite close relationship.

Religious archaeology is a branch of archaeology that takes the relics and relics of religion as its object of study. In ancient times, religious beliefs prevailed in human society. Therefore, when studying the history of human society, it is necessary to take religious activities as an important aspect as well. Shrines, temples, altars, sacrificial vessels, statues, wall paintings, scriptures and symbols of various eras are the specific objects of religious archaeology, and some of them have a certain value of fine arts, so the relationship between religious archaeology and fine arts archaeology is also relatively close. In religious archaeology, the Christian archaeology in Europe, North Africa and West and Central Asia, the archaeology of Islam, South Asia and East Asia, the archaeology of Buddhism is the most important, they all belong to the field of historical archaeology. However, as early as the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods, human beings already had religious activities with certain remains and relics. Therefore, this branch of religious archaeology should also be included in the field of prehistoric archaeology.

The archaeology of ancient money as the object of study is called ancient money science. Because the casting age of ancient money is clear, it becomes one of the most common basis for archaeology to break the generation. However, as a branch of archaeology, the study of ancient money has a broader and more important significance. The goal of the study of ancient money is not only to determine the casting age of various ancient money, but also to identify the issuer and the place of issuance of the money through the examination of the shape, texture, weight, inscription, pattern and casting technology, to determine the value of the money, and to study the meaning and style of the inscription and pattern, so as to provide the material for the study of economic history, cultural history and even the history of fine arts. Through the investigation of the geographical distribution of the unearthed ancient money, it is also possible to study the situation of economic trade and cultural exchanges in various regions of the world, and provide clues for judging the transportation routes at that time. Because the ancient money is a product of the historical era, ancient money science belongs to the scope of historical archaeology.

As a branch of archaeology, the object of study of paleography and inscription must be cast, engraved or written on the relics and relics of the text, which is different from the general books and documents. Ruins and relics containing words can be roughly divided into two categories. A class such as tombstone, stone tablet, seal, oracle bone, simple documents, clay plate, silk and paper books, etc., the rhetoric is the main content of the artifacts; the other class such as monumental buildings, carvings, paintings, currency, weights and measures, mirrors, tools, weapons and a variety of containers, etc., inscriptions are in a subsidiary position. The tasks of paleography and inscriptions are to recognize the characters of inscriptions, to read the meaning of the words, and to distinguish the scripts of different times and regions, the latter of which is called "paleography" in the countries that use the phonetic alphabet. As far as the discovered ancient scripts are concerned, although many single characters can be recognized in ancient Indian, Khitan and Mayan scripts, they cannot be read successfully. However, Egyptian, Sumerian, Mycenaean (Linear B), and Shang and Zhou oracle bone inscriptions can be interpreted in detail, thus playing a great role in the study of ancient Egyptian civilization, Sumerian civilization, Mycenaean Greek civilization, and Yin Shang civilization in China. In addition, the study of inscriptions makes it possible to determine the age, maker, owner, location, use and purpose of relics and artifacts. Since the inscriptions existed on the relics and relics, their reliability greatly exceeded that of the documentary records, and they could not only make up for the deficiencies of the documentary records, but also sometimes correct their mistakes. Therefore, paleography and inscriptions are of great significance to the study of archaeology and historical archaeology.

Aeronautical archaeology refers to the use of aircraft from the air to the ground photography, through the observation of the resulting photographs, analysis, determination of the shape of the ruins and relics, types and their distribution. Aerial archaeology began at the end of the First World War. At that time, British, French and German archaeologists used aerial photographs taken by the air force when reconnaissance of the terrain to explore the monuments on the ground. After the end of the war, this work was further developed, especially the work of British archaeologists was outstanding, laying the foundation of aviation archaeology. Over the decades, the technology of aerial archaeology has been continuously improved, especially the invention of artificial satellites and the development of photographic technology, so that the effect of aerial archaeology is greatly improved. The relics shown and identified through aerial photography and space photography can be broadly categorized into three types. (1) those that are revealed by the shadows created by the oblique sunlight, such as dams, city walls, and burial mounds; (2) those that are identified by the lightness and darkness of the soil color due to the difference in soil texture, such as pits, trenches, and roads; and (3) those that are identified by the difference in the greenness of grains, weeds, and other plants, such as the ruins of villages, cities, farmlands, roads, canals, and so on. In addition, into the sea of the remains can sometimes be found through aerial photography; Phoenicia's two seaports - Tyre and Sidon continued to the Roman period of the port of the city was found, is a famous example. Aerial archaeology has been so effective that it can be seen as a new force in field archaeology.

The germ of underwater archaeology can be traced back to the 16th century, when Italians explored shipwrecks on the seabed. To the early 20th century, underwater archaeological investigations around the world, the most famous is the Mayan cultural site in Chichen Itza, Mexico, the "sacred pool" in the search for victims and sacrifices, in the Tunisian port of Mahdieh, the search for Roman shipwrecks full of ancient Greek works of art on the sea. However, due to the limitations of diving conditions, it was not possible to do delicate operations and records during the investigations. 1943, the invention of the diving lung, and after the Second World War, the improvement of all aspects of equipment and conditions, which enabled the establishment of a real underwater archaeology. From the 60's, first the French in Marseille near the seabed excavation of shipwrecks, then the United States archaeological team in Turkey near the seabed excavation of the Greco-Roman era and the late Bronze Age shipwrecks, not only to obtain the ship in many antiquities, but also for the study of ancient shipbuilding, navigation, maritime transportation and trade provides important new information. Underwater archaeology has expanded from sunken objects and shipwrecks to sites such as cities and harbors submerged in the bottom of lakes and in the sea, and the means and methods of survey, excavation, and photographic recording have been greatly improved, so that underwater archaeology has continued to achieve results at a remarkable rate. It can be said that underwater archaeology is the extension of field archaeology in the water.

In addition to the various major branches mentioned above, archaeology can also be divided into "European archaeology", "Egyptian archaeology", "Chinese archaeology" and "Japanese archaeology". "and "Japanese archaeology" and other branches, and the archaeology of each region can be divided into "classical archaeology" (Greco-Roman archaeology), "Shangzhou and Zhou archaeology" and many other branches according to the different eras. "

Archaeology of the world's most famous archaeological site.

The relationship between archaeology and other disciplines Archaeology is a wide-ranging science, and many other disciplines have a relationship, and must be supported and assisted by these disciplines in order to complete the research tasks.

Types of related disciplines The disciplines related to archaeology can be broadly divided into natural sciences, engineering and technology sciences and humanities and social sciences and other three aspects.

In the natural sciences, natural geography, geology, meteorology and ecology and other disciplines, mainly to assist in the study of the site of the region's geohistory and natural resources, from all aspects of the recovery of the natural environment. Biology (zoology and botany) and physical anthropology are mainly used to identify and date plant remains, animal and human skeletons excavated from the site. Physics and chemistry are used to explore the remains, analyze their composition and properties, and date them.

In the engineering sciences, architecture and civil engineering are used to excavate, survey, map, and restore excavated remains or preserve them on site. Mining and metallurgy, ceramics and dyeing and weaving are applied to the investigation of the remains of workshop sites, mining sites, kiln sites, etc., and to the analysis and study of copper, iron, ceramics, glass, textiles and other relics. Shipbuilding science is specifically applied to the excavation of shipbuilding workshop sites and ship relics for examination and research.

In the humanities and social sciences, ethnology, folklore, linguistics, human geography, sociology, religion, economics, political science, and law are studied and interpreted in relation to the information provided by the relics and artifacts of each discipline. Art history and architectural history are mainly concerned with the study of excavated works of art and the remains of various buildings, and the making of judgments and explanations concerning their styles, styles, ages, construction techniques and preservation. Historiography, in addition to providing documentary explanations for the excavated remains and relics and helping to determine their age, also extensively provides documentary information on the ancient political organization, social structure, economic system, as well as the spiritual and cultural aspects of the various issues, making detailed explanations to make up for the archaeology of these aspects of the lack and inadequacy.

Some examples of related disciplines Geology, botany, zoology, and physical anthropology are used here as examples to further illustrate the close relationship between them and archaeology.

The greatest contribution of geology to archaeological research has been the full restoration of the Quaternary natural environment. Based on the study of Quaternary geology, it can be confirmed that the Pleistocene, in which early mankind survived, was an era of drastic climatic changes on earth. Large-scale glacial activity occurred at that time in the high mountains of the northern hemisphere in the high latitude and mid-latitude regions and in the low latitude regions. The expansion and retreat of the glaciers resulted in the formation of cold ice ages and warm interglacial periods, the alternation of which led to a series of events such as the drastic rise and fall of the sea level, the shift of climate zones, and the migration or extinction of plants and animals, which had a great impact on the evolution of the body mass of the early human beings, the development of their culture, and the change of the range of their residence. Therefore, the findings of Quaternary geology have become an indispensable basis for archaeological research in the Paleolithic. Geologically, the Pleistocene can be divided into the Early, Middle, and Late Periods based on the nature of the fauna, the characteristics of the accumulations, and other factors of environmental change, and the absolute age of each period can be presumed. This also lays the foundation for the staging of Paleolithic archaeology.

The application of geology to archaeology in general is mainly the identification of rocks and minerals. Paleolithic and Neolithic era of a large number of stone tools, as well as many stone products of various eras, including gemstones, semi-precious stones and other non-metallic minerals, can be used in the method of rock slice, with a microscope to identify. This not only confirms the nature of the rocks and minerals, but also presumes their origin.

Botany is quite widely used in archaeology. In general sites and burials, the plant remains most likely to be encountered are wood, fibers, and seeds, the latter of which include cereal grains, kernels, and squash seeds. The identification of wood allows one to understand the material of various wooden objects and thus to deduce their method of manufacture and utility. Through the identification of fibers, it is possible to understand the texture of textiles, and then explore the situation of agriculture and textile industry. Through the identification of seeds, you can understand the types of crops, and then argue the level of development of agriculture and the living conditions of the population.

The application of botany in archaeology, but also fully expressed in the analysis of spore pollen research. Spore pollen has a small individual, light weight, firm texture, large yield, easy to fly and other characteristics, so generally in the stratum of each site in large quantities, can be collected and analyzed. Through the identification of spore pollen, the plant species at that time can be inferred; the number of various spore pollen can be counted to understand the vegetation at that time. Since certain plant species require a certain ecological environment, it is possible to infer the geography and climate of the natural environment through the study of the vegetation. For example, the pollen of aquatic plants such as water lilies indicates that there were lakes and swamps in the vicinity at that time, and the pollen of cold-resistant trees such as spruce and fir is found in large quantities, which indicates that the local climate at that time was cold and humid, and so on. With the passage of time, the plant world is always evolving from low level to high level, from simple to complex. Therefore, the discovery of different kinds and different combinations of spore pollen from different strata can also help archaeologists to divide and check the stratigraphic layers.

Whether it is prehistoric archaeology or historical archaeology, the relationship with zoology is very close. The animal bones excavated from the Paleolithic sites are all wild animals. The characteristics, combinations and turnover of the fauna, as well as the statistics of the ratio between the extinct species in the fauna and the species still surviving in the present day, all contribute to the determination of the relative age of the sites, the delineation of the stratigraphy and the comparative study among the sites. Based on the characteristics and distribution of the various ecological types in the fauna, combined with other relevant information, it is also possible to analyze the living environment and climatic conditions of human beings at that time.

By the Neolithic era, domestic animals appeared one after another all over the world. Therefore, the animal bones unearthed at various sites can be used as the most direct basis for studying the origin of domestic animals. The study of various primitive features of domestic animals in the early Neolithic helps to understand how human beings initially recognized nature and transformed it. Through the comparative study of animal bones unearthed from sites in various regions of the world, it is also possible to investigate the development and spread of various livestock breeding industries in the region, and then presume the economic and cultural exchanges between various regions.

In the Neolithic site, often contains a large number of animal bones; near the water site, there are many fish, shellfish remains. If they are all wild animals, it can be shown that the fishing and hunting economy still plays an important role; if they are dominated by livestock, it can be shown that has entered the stage of animal husbandry economy. If both wild animals and domestic animals, the ratio of the number of both can be used to judge the hunting economy and animal husbandry economy which is more developed. If the remains of the buried animals and the bone materials used in bone products are not those produced in the region, it can be inferred that the interaction and exchange relationship between the local and foreign residents. The study of animal and livestock remains unearthed from tombs in various historical eras also helps to further understand the state of agriculture and animal husbandry in each of those eras.

The application of physical anthropology to archaeology includes the archaeology of various historical eras in addition to the prehistoric archaeology of the Paleolithic and Neolithic eras. Determining the age and sex of the deceased from the skeletal remains is one of the basic programs of somatic anthropological research. The human bone data in the burials identified by gender and age can then become important clues for exploring the funeral customs, marriage system and social organization pattern at that time; in the archaeology of the Neolithic Age, this is also of great significance to the study of the process of development and disintegration of the primitive clan society. In addition, the identification of the sex and age of the tomb owners also helps to understand the division of labor and certain special customs of the inhabitants at that time. Analyzing the distribution of the age of the deceased in contemporaneous graves can also observe the advantages and disadvantages of the living conditions of the residents at that time from one side.

Since the external features of living human beings are closely related to the morphology and structure of bones, ethnographic research can be carried out through the observation of ancient bones. Combining archaeological data and ancient literature, the study of the relationship between ancient peoples in terms of their physical qualities is also an important topic in anthropological research. Although analyzing the ethnographic types of the inhabitants of a particular ancient site does not solve the problem of their ethnicity, ethnographic research on the inhabitants of a particular ethnic group can provide clues for exploring the origins of the ethnic group. The study of human bone data from different regions in different eras can help us to understand the physical evolution of ancient inhabitants and their distribution patterns; and the occurrence of physical polyphenism at the same site can help us to understand the problems related to migration and conquest at that time. In addition, the study of bone pathology can also be used to understand the disease and environmental conditions in ancient times.

The term "archaeology" in Chinese is a translation from a European text, and in the 17th century, archaeology referred to the study of antiquities and monuments. In the 17th and 18th centuries, archaeology generally referred to the study of antiquities and monuments of artistic value. Only in the 19th century did it refer generally to the study of all antiquities and monuments.

In China, in the Eastern Han Dynasty (1st to 2nd centuries), there was already the name "ancient learning". After the Han Book, said Ma Rong, "the transmission of ancient learning", Jia Kui "for ancient learning", Huan Tan "good ancient learning", Zheng Xing "long in ancient learning "Here the so-called "ancient learning" refers to the study of ancient texts and scriptures, which actually also includes paleography. In the middle of the Northern Song Dynasty (11th century), "Jinshiology" was born, and its research object was limited to the ancient "Jijin" (bronze □ ware) and stone carvings. To the end of the Qing dynasty (19th century), jinshi science research object from bronze, stone carving expanded to a variety of other antiquities, so some people advocate jinshi science renamed "ancient artifacts". Since the "ancient artifacts" in the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China period was close to modern archaeology, some people also translated the term "archaeology" in the European text as "antiquities" (e.g., the 1931 Commercial Edition of the Encyclopedia of the Chinese Academy of Sciences). 1931 business edition of the Encyclopedia of Names). In fact, the Chinese "ancient artifacts" is not the same as archaeology, only after systematization can become part of archaeology.

The term archaeology has three meanings:

The first one refers to the historical knowledge gained from archaeological research, and sometimes it can be extended to the books of such knowledge;

The second one refers to the archaeological methods and techniques by which such knowledge is gained, including the methods and techniques of collecting and preserving data, validating and verifying data, and arranging and organizing data;

The third one refers to the methods and techniques of collecting and preserving data, validating and verifying data, and arranging and organizing data;

The third one refers to the methods and techniques of archaeological research.

Now, as a modern science, archaeology has its full content, sophisticated methods, systematic theories and clear goals. Although there is not yet a universally recognized definition, the term archaeology is understood by academics in much the same way throughout the world. Therefore, it is possible to define archaeology as a science that studies the history of ancient human societies on the basis of objects left behind by ancient human beings through a variety of activities, taking into account the three meanings mentioned above, starting from the same understanding. For such a definition, the following explanations are needed:

The chronological scope of research

Archaeology is an integral part of historical science in China. However, the scope of archaeological research in all countries is the ancient historical period since the existence of human activities, so its upper limit is the emergence of human beings, and archaeology in all countries have their chronological lower limit. For example, the lower limit of British archaeology is the Norman invasion (1066), the lower limit of French archaeology is the overthrow of the Carolingian dynasty (987), and the lower limit of the archaeology of the Americas is the discovery of the New World by C. Columbus (about 1451-1506) (1492). Generally speaking, the lower chronological limit for Chinese archaeology can be set at the fall of the Ming Dynasty (1644). Archaeology is irrelevant to the ancient age of the dinosaurs, to recent history, and to modern history.

In recent times, there has been "medieval archaeology" in Britain, which extends to the beginning of the bourgeois revolution (1640), and so-called "industrial archaeology", which extends to the 18th and 19th centuries, to the beginning of the industrial revolution. In the Americas, there is the so-called "industrial archaeology". In the Americas, there is the so-called "historical archaeology" or "colonial archaeology", which ranges from the discovery of the Americas by Columbus to the political independence of the American countries at the end of the 18th century or the beginning of the 19th century. However, the so-called "industrial archaeology" in Britain and the so-called "historical archaeology" or "colonial archaeology" in America are actually the use of archaeological methods to study modern history.

On the contrary, some people limit the chronological scope of archaeology to the prehistoric era, that is, the ancient times without written records. In this way, the historical eras of many ancient civilizations are excluded from the chronological scope of archaeological research, which is also inappropriate. It must be affirmed that archaeology does not study modern times or contemporary times, but ancient times. However, the "ancient times" studied by archaeology should also include the protohistoric and historical times in addition to the prehistoric times. As far as Chinese archaeology is concerned, the historical era not only refers to the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, but also includes the Qin and Han Dynasties and their subsequent generations; the so-called "ancient not to test the 'three generations' below" is incorrect. Of course, the older the history, the less written records, the importance of archaeological research is also more significant. In order to understand the social history of prehistoric times when there was no written record of mankind, it is necessary to rely to a great extent on archaeology, and thus prehistoric archaeology and prehistory have become equivalent.

As the remains and relics of physical information, the object of archaeology is physical information. Some people look at the meaning of the word "ancient", thinking that as long as it is to prove the ancient things, whether it is based on literature, or based on physical information, can be considered archaeology. In fact, the object of archaeology is the material remains, i.e., the remains and relics of ancient times. This is the most important difference between it and historiography in the narrow sense of the word, which relies on documentary records in order to study human history. Archaeology and historiography are the two main components of the science of history (historiography in the broad sense), just like the two wheels of a car, which cannot be neglected. However, although the two are closely related, they are independent of each other. They both belong to the science of "time", both to the study of ancient human social history as the goal, but the information used is very different, and therefore the methods used are not the same. Some people rely on literature to study the ancient history of mankind in the narrow sense of history is also called archaeology, which is not in line with the basic meaning of modern archaeology.

As the object of archaeological research, the physical object should be the ancient human beings through a variety of activities left behind, is consciously processed by human beings. If it is a natural object that has not been processed by human beings, it must be related to human activities or be able to reflect human activities. This shows that archaeology belongs to the historical sciences in the humanities and not to the natural sciences, although in the process of archaeological research must make full use of the techniques and methods of the natural sciences.