Archaeology: the essence of its study in the understanding of the cultures of a people
Archeology is a very relevant field of study within anthropology that seeks to understand the human behavior of human societies by tracking patterns in their evolution. It involves a thorough investigation of human activities through a rigorous analysis of their carefully excavated and discovered material culture, such as artifacts, building structures, cultural landscapes, and other ecological and/or biological elements. Archaeology, as a field of study, is highly relevant in our quest to develop global communities through diligent study and understanding of the stages of their evolution. This article discusses the relevance of archeology as a field of study to understand human cultures from the perspective of cultural anthropology.
The study of archeology offers an understanding of historical and cultural information about ancient civilizations. Understanding of all facets of the culture of a group of people or ethnic society is enhanced through the study of archaeology. This includes their agricultural practices such as crop and animal production, medicine, religion, arts and crafts, industry, science and technology, trade, tourism, and approaches to water management. This knowledge base often serves as a platform for the development of modern civilizations. These indigenous knowledge systems encompassing the ways of life of ethnic societies could be improved and used under current conditions. Interestingly, this indigenous knowledge could be studied and formulated into policies aimed at taming development within the confines of the global system. Strategies that have been used in the past are not only sustainable but also socially engineered because they have been proven over considerable periods of time and are feasible in their modern applications.
The language of a people is often identified as the first step in understanding the culture of a people. Archaeological discoveries of lost languages have led to the reconstruction of the phonetics of their modern languages and a general reconstruction of their cultural image. For example, Hittite cuneiform texts discovered in the ancient Hatita capital of north central Anatolia in Turkey have helped decipher several Old Hatita languages of non-Indo-European speaking people. Likewise, Egyptian writing texts in hieroglyphics, demotic and hieratic have improved the understanding of the way of life of the ancient Egyptians while the historical information of the Babylonians has been deepened with the archaeological discoveries of the Babylonian cuneiform inscriptions.
Archaeological discoveries of natural sites of remarkable cultural and historical significance have become ecotourism sites and cultural-historical sites that generate enormous revenue for countries and provide job opportunities for the rural poor living in communities fringed by forests. In addition to the interesting landscapes and amazing natural resources discovered at these sites, several wonderful artifacts and buildings discovered show the great craft skills of the earliest ancestors of people, which can be studied, imitated, and adapted to enrich modern craftsmanship in the fields of art. , Engineering and architecture.
The recent field of Agricultural Anthropology which is based on archaeological information of agricultural production procedures such as the irrigation canals of ancient peoples in various countries has provided farmers with traditional cultivation, harvesting, water, soil and post-harvest practices. efficient and less costly that could be in synergy with recent scientific agricultural approaches to improve modern agricultural production procedures. Agricultural geologists gain a deep understanding of a village’s vegetation and climatic conditions through its ecological data, such as preserved pollen provided by archaeologists. Likewise, food scientists have information about the eating habits of a group of people.
Social scientists, economists, and development planners who study the population pattern of a people, their social caste systems, their economic systems, and their settlement patterns are assisted by archaeologists, who diligently study the size of the structures of their buildings, how their houses are situated, and their business transactions.
Simply put, the study of archeology positively impacts all other fields of study. It offers a rich fundamental understanding of the diverse human societies that serve as the foundation for modern development in global societies. The field offers several avenues of employment for many people who pursue their study. This article recommends that scholarships and grants be provided to students pursuing the study of archeology to increase interest in the field of study.