It seems that people have always been curious about cultures of the past. Evidence of the interest in studying the past goes back at least as far as New Kingdom Egypt (1570-1069 BC) when officials preserved monuments from the Old Kingdom (2613-2589 BC). In the 15th century, King Thutmose IV ordered the Great Sphinx of Giza, which had already nearly been buried in sand, to be excavated. A record of his work was left recorded on a stone tablet, known as the Dream Stele, that was placed between the paws of the monument (Ashmore & Sharer, 2014, p. 27). King Nabonidus of Babylon (556-539 BC) dug into the temples of his predecessors in search of objects belonging to earlier time periods and created exhibits displaying the artifacts of his Sumerian predecessors (Ashmore & Sharer, 2014, p. 27). These early examples illustrate three characteristics of contemporary anthropology: excavating ancient remains, recording the work, and preserving the finds.
Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Great Sphinx of Giza with the Dream Stele.Figure \(\PageIndex{2}\): Nabonidus, king of Babylonia; slab in the British Museum.
The Renaissance and Antiquarians
The roots of archaeology lie in the works of individuals who, like King Thutmose IV and Nabonidus, were interested in the people and cultures of their past. In the early European Renaissance (14th to 17th centuries), curiosity about past civilizations increased and wealthy individuals began to travel to collect art and other objects from ancient times, referred to as antiquities. Those individuals became known as antiquarians (Ashmore & Sharer, 2014, p. 26). The not only collected what could easily be found, but they would dig as well. These excavations began to take on some elements of scientific study as people who were specifically interested in the past were seeking to learn more about past cultures and peoples, but the scientific method was not employed.
Definition: antiquarians
A nonprofessional who collects antiquities and/or studies the past for its artistic or cultural value.
Definition: antiquities
Relics or monuments of ancient times.
Such early projects included excavations in 1709 at the ancient Roman town of Herculaneum, which had been covered by volcanic ash during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD (Fagan, 2006, p. 5). The same event that destroyed Pompeii. In 1738, the king of Italy, Charles III, commissioned the excavation of the site. Unfortunately, this endeavor was largely a glorified treasure hunt and the artifacts that were collected were not analyzed.
Figure \(\PageIndex{3}\): Ancient Roman Herculaneum, Campania, Italy.
While early excavation methods may not have followed today's scientific standards, some antiquarians attempted to study, classify, and interpret the material remains that were found (Ashmore & Sharer, 2014, p. 27). In 1587, William Camden compiled a work, Britannia, of all the archaeological sites and artifacts that were known in England at the time. John Aubrey and William Stukely both did pioneering work in trying to interpret the purposes of the now-famous Avebury and Stonehenge stone circles (Ashmore & Sharer, 2014, p. 27). While their interpretations may be speculative, it demonstrates another future goal of archaeology, understanding the past.
Not all those who collected artifacts had scholarly motives. What today would be called pothunting or looting—digging up items for their value rather than as part of a scientific endeavor—was a widespread and accepted practice used for thousands of years to acquire antiques and relics for personal collections or financial gain. Unfortunately, many of the early excavations can be considered equivalent to treasure hunting. As a result, much of Europe's pre-historic past is a "jumble of stone and metal tools and clay vessels" (Fagan, 2006, p. 6). When an artifact is removed from the context of the site, it is difficult for archaeologists to learn anything about the culture that produced it.
Looting was not a new practice. Tomb raiding was common and a serious problem for the Early Egyptians. Although builders tried to construct the tombs in a way that would prevent looters from gaining access to the riches and treasures buried with pharaohs and their families, they were unsuccessful. While we may be familiar with the pyramids of Giza, nothing was left of the people who were laid to rest in them...not their treasures, nor their bodies (Mark, 2017). Looting continues to be a major problem today.
Figure \(\PageIndex{4}\): Looting pits on the Yasin Tepe Ancient mound, Iraq.Figure \(\PageIndex{5}\): Left: A looter's pit at the ancient Sumerian city of Kish, Iraq
Right: Fragments of pottery are scattered near the pit.
Definition: looters
Individuals who plunder archaeological sites to find artifacts of commercial value.
REFERENCES
Ashmore, W., & Sharer, R. J. (2014). Discovering our past: A brief introduction to archaeology. New York, N.Y: McGraw-Hill.
Fagan, B. M. (2006). Archaeology: A brief introduction. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Figure 1.3.1 Great Sphinx of Giza with the Dream Stele. (2009). By Chanel Wheeler under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Figure 1.3.2 Nabonidus, king of Babylonia; slab in the British Museum (n.d.). By British Museum under CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Figure 1.3.3 Ancient Roman Herculaneum, Campania, Italy. (2006). By Pierre Andre Leclercq under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Figure 1.3.4 The upper surface of Yasin Tepe ancient mound. Innumerable looters' pits can be seen. Shahrizor Plain, Sulaymaniyah Governorate, Iraqi Kurdistan. (2016). By Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg) under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Figure 1.3.5 A looter's pit (left) at the ancient Sumerian city of Kish, Iraq and Fragments of pottery (right) are scattered near the pit. (unknown date).
by Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg), CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
A derivative work from
"Digging into Archaeology: A Brief OER Introduction to Archaeology with Activities" by Amanda Wolcott Paskey and AnnMarie Beasley Cisneros, Faculty (Anthropology) at Cosumnes River College & American River College, ASCCC Open Educational Resources Initiative (OERI), 2020, under CC BY-NC 4.0.
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