Uploaded January 2022 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Ultimately the goal of archaeology is to find out about historic humans and their lives. To answer questions about how they lived, what they ate, did for fun, what they believed in, and how they communicated. But beyond just facts about the past, archaeologists are tasked with interpreting them to gain a deeper understanding of why some communities flourished and some failed. Here’s everything you need to know in the first of three episodes on archaeology!
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So archaeology - we’re going to talk about some of the coolest discoveries made recently in the field and get into the insane futuristic technology that is completely revolutionizing the field. Because archaeology often gets overlooked in the big science headlines, but it’s literally the study of everything we know about humans of the past. And it takes a lot of careful investigation, insight and plenty of creativity to interpret the things that we’ve left behind.
So how does this all go down? Well, the field of archaeology is based around something called the archaeological record. Think of it as the big book of time chronicling who lived where and what they were up to. Unlike a lot of other sciences that involve hands-on experiments and interactions with living people, archaeology is forced to rely on found objects and evidence of activity. Which can make it tricky to find concrete answers.
This archaeological record is made up of all the things people have left behind. It’s their trash, their tools, their buildings, and even their bones.
#Archaeology #Artifacts #AncientMystery #Seeker #SeekerPlus
Read More:
The Science of Archaeology
“Archaeologists want to learn all about past peoples: where they lived, what they ate, how they were organized, what they believed, where they succeeded and failed, their language, their religion—everything. In a sense, archaeologists are detectives, finding clues to the past and trying to sort out what happened and why. Archaeologists do more than simply obtain facts about the past; they also interpret the information to create an understanding of the past.” pearsonhighered.com/assets/samplechapter/0/2/0/5/020589531X.pdf
What Do Archaeologists Do?
“The methods used by archaeologists to gather data can apply to any time period, including the recent past. One archaeologist in the U.S. has become known for his study of the garbage discarded by the people of Tuscon, Arizona in the 1970s! This ‘garbology’ project proved that even recent artifacts can reveal a lot about the people who used and discarded them. Over the past 150 years, archaeologists have developed effective methods and techniques for studying the past. Archaeologists also rely on methods from other fields such as history, botany, geology, and soil science.”
saa.org/about-archaeology/what-do-archaeologists-do
Archaeology enters the ‘atomic age’: a short history of radiocarbon, 1946–1960
“Developed in the United States in the late 1940s by an alumnus of the Manhattan Project, radiocarbon dating measures the decay of the radioactive isotope carbon-14 (C14) in organic material, and calculates the time elapsed since the materials were removed from the life cycle.” cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-for-the-history-of-science/article/abs/archaeology-enters-the-atomic-age-a-short-history-of-radiocarbon-19461960/855D6E2E66D09F7467C6051C77C2D6B0
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Seeker+ is your home for deep dives, fun facts, rabbit holes, and more. Join host Julian Huguet as he unapologetically nerds out on the oddball history, astounding science and intriguing future around topics that will make you the smartest person at your next trivia night.
--
Seeker empowers the curious to understand the science shaping our world. We tell award-winning stories about the natural forces and groundbreaking innovations that impact our lives, our planet, and our universe.
Follow us on TikTok: tiktok.com/@seeker
Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/seeker
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Ultimately the goal of archaeology is to find out about historic humans and their lives. To answer questions about how they lived, what they ate, did for fun, what they believed in, and how they communicated. But beyond just facts about the past, archaeologists are tasked with interpreting them to gain a deeper understanding of why some communities flourished and some failed. Here’s everything you need to know in the first of three episodes on archaeology!
» Subscribe to Seeker+! bit.ly/SeekerPlusSubscribe (then hit the little 🔔 icon and select “all.“)
» Watch more! bit.ly/SeekerPlusPlaylist
» Visit our shop at shop.seeker.com
So archaeology - we’re going to talk about some of the coolest discoveries made recently in the field and get into the insane futuristic technology that is completely revolutionizing the field. Because archaeology often gets overlooked in the big science headlines, but it’s literally the study of everything we know about humans of the past. And it takes a lot of careful investigation, insight and plenty of creativity to interpret the things that we’ve left behind.
So how does this all go down? Well, the field of archaeology is based around something called the archaeological record. Think of it as the big book of time chronicling who lived where and what they were up to. Unlike a lot of other sciences that involve hands-on experiments and interactions with living people, archaeology is forced to rely on found objects and evidence of activity. Which can make it tricky to find concrete answers.
This archaeological record is made up of all the things people have left behind. It’s their trash, their tools, their buildings, and even their bones.
#Archaeology #Artifacts #AncientMystery #Seeker #SeekerPlus
Read More:
The Science of Archaeology
“Archaeologists want to learn all about past peoples: where they lived, what they ate, how they were organized, what they believed, where they succeeded and failed, their language, their religion—everything. In a sense, archaeologists are detectives, finding clues to the past and trying to sort out what happened and why. Archaeologists do more than simply obtain facts about the past; they also interpret the information to create an understanding of the past.” pearsonhighered.com/assets/samplechapter/0/2/0/5/020589531X.pdf
What Do Archaeologists Do?
“The methods used by archaeologists to gather data can apply to any time period, including the recent past. One archaeologist in the U.S. has become known for his study of the garbage discarded by the people of Tuscon, Arizona in the 1970s! This ‘garbology’ project proved that even recent artifacts can reveal a lot about the people who used and discarded them. Over the past 150 years, archaeologists have developed effective methods and techniques for studying the past. Archaeologists also rely on methods from other fields such as history, botany, geology, and soil science.”
saa.org/about-archaeology/what-do-archaeologists-do
Archaeology enters the ‘atomic age’: a short history of radiocarbon, 1946–1960
“Developed in the United States in the late 1940s by an alumnus of the Manhattan Project, radiocarbon dating measures the decay of the radioactive isotope carbon-14 (C14) in organic material, and calculates the time elapsed since the materials were removed from the life cycle.” cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-for-the-history-of-science/article/abs/archaeology-enters-the-atomic-age-a-short-history-of-radiocarbon-19461960/855D6E2E66D09F7467C6051C77C2D6B0
--
Seeker+ is your home for deep dives, fun facts, rabbit holes, and more. Join host Julian Huguet as he unapologetically nerds out on the oddball history, astounding science and intriguing future around topics that will make you the smartest person at your next trivia night.
--
Seeker empowers the curious to understand the science shaping our world. We tell award-winning stories about the natural forces and groundbreaking innovations that impact our lives, our planet, and our universe.
Follow us on TikTok: tiktok.com/@seeker
Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/seeker
Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/seeker
