An archaeologist is a person who studies human activities through the recovery and analysis of material culture consisting of artifacts, architecture, biofacts (or ecofacts), sites, and cultural landscapes. Archaeology can be considered both a social science and a branch of the humanities. In Europe, it is often viewed as either a discipline in its own right or a sub-field of other disciplines, while in North America, archaeology is a sub-field of anthropology.
Archaeologists study human prehistory and history, from the development of the first stone tools at Lomekwi in East Africa 3.3 million years ago up until recent decades. Archaeology is distinct from paleontology, which is the study of fossil remains. Archaeology is particularly important for learning about prehistoric societies, for which, by definition, there are no written records. Prehistory includes over 99% of the human past, from the Paleolithic until the advent of literacy in societies around the world. Archaeology has various goals, which range from understanding culture history to reconstructing past lifeways to documenting and explaining changes in human societies through time. Derived from the Greek, the term archaeology literally means "the study of ancient history."
Archaeologist has been suggested to play 5 roles. Click below to see other actors suggested for each role, and vote for who you think would play the role best.
