Prehistoric archaeology

Prehistoric archaeology is a subfield of archaeology, which deals specifically with artefacts,

civilisations and other materials from societies that existed before any form of writing system
or historical record. Often the field focuses on ages such as the Stone Age, Bronze Age and
Iron Age, although it also encompasses periods such as the Neolithic. The study of prehistoric
archaeology reflects the cultural concerns of modern society by showing interpretations of
time between economic growth and political stability.
It is related to other disciplines such as geology, biology, anthropology, historiography and
palaeontology, although there are noticeable differences between the subjects they all broadly
study to understand; the past, either organic or inorganic or the lives of humans. Prehistoric
archaeology is also sometimes termed as anthropological archaeology because of its indirect
traces with complex patterns.

Neolithic pottery
Due to the unique nature of prehistoric archaeology, in that written records can not be drawn upon
to aid the study of the societies it focuses on, the subject matter investigated is entirely material
remains as they are the only traceable evidence that is available. Material evidence includes pottery,
burial goods, the remains of individuals and animals such as bones, jewellery and decorative items as
well as many other artefacts. The subfield has existed since at least the late 1820s or early 1830s [3]
and is now a fully recognised and separate field of archaeology.

Other fields of archaeology include; Classical archaeology, Near Eastern archaeology - as known as
Biblical archaeology, Historical archaeology, Underwater archaeology and many more, each working
to reconstruct our understanding of everything from the ancient past right up until modern times.
Unlike continent and area specific fields of archaeology such as; Classical - which studies specifically
the Mediterranean region and the civilisations of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome in antiquity, the
field of prehistoric archaeology is not contained to one continent. As such, there are many
excavations attributed to this field which have occurred and are occurring all over the world to
uncover all different types of settlements and civilisations.

Prehistoric archaeology is a fascinating subfield of archaeology that delves into the distant
past, long before the advent of writing systems or historical records. Let’s explore this
captivating domain.
Main types and locations of sites
Some of the main types of sites include early proto-city and proto city-states, settlements,
temples and sanctuaries of worship and cave sites. To define each of these terms
archaeologically; a proto city-state is a large town or village that existed in the Neolithic era,
it is also categorized by its lack of central rule or deliberate city organization of
infrastructure.
A settlement is an area where individuals lived either permanently or semi-permanently,
conversely temples or sanctuaries were areas of cult practice or worship to the gods or beings
associated with the specific people, areas of worship in early prehistoric sites or periods can
also include spiritual areas of prominent religious importance without the presence of a
directly associated deity.
Cave sites are sheltered areas, usually in rock formations where individual members of a
society may have gathered together in either semi-permanent or permanent basis to create art,
to dwell or to prepare food. All prehistoric archaeology sites must contain evidence of
humans – even if they did not actively live on the site or visited it occasionally, and a lack of
historical record within the society. Sites that feature the ability of the inhabitants to record
information about themselves are not considered prehistoric.
Methods of investigation and analysis
Archaeologists use many different methods to research the artefacts and materials that may
be found during an excavation. Within early excavations dedicated to treasure hunting little to
no care was taken when removing soil covering artefacts or when removing the artefacts and
materials themselves from sites which may have led to the destruction of materials and has
placed some recovered artefacts at risk.
Often the digs were conducted by amateurs and treasure hunters who did not have the
knowledge we do now about how to remove artefacts safely. Some of the main techniques
used to gently recover artefacts or to ensure the integrity of the site remains for future
exploration and the preservation of the site are; aerial photography – to survey the site,
stratigraphic measurements – which document the layers of soil to aid in site dating,
fieldwalking - which involves walking the ground and looking for objects and making site
plans to record the locations of objects and remains on a site.
Within aerial photography several important markers of archaeological sites can be revealed
such as; shadow marks, crop marks and soil marks. Archaeologists also use a range of
techniques when excavating a site to uncover materials including; digging test pits, creating
trenches and using the box-grid or quadrant method to keep track of different areas of the
site.

Some of the technology used to assist in looking for and uncovering materials in prehistoric
archaeological sites are; electrical resistivity meters – which help locate objects underground
non-disruptively, laser theodolites – to help map the site layout, satellite survey - which uses
satellites to get an aerial view of the site, lidar - which uses lasers to scan for objects
underground and sonar - which uses soundwaves to scan the earth for objects.[33][32] None
of these techniques are solely practiced within prehistoric archaeology, most archaeological
techniques may be used across many of the different subfields of archaeology.
Issues faced in the field
There are a vast amount of difficulties faced within prehistoric archaeology including; site
degradation, which makes understanding a site very difficult as it erases evidence that may
have been useful for gaining insight into the civilization. Degradation of a site may be
exacerbated by climate change as often prehistoric sites are delicate due to the nature of their
age, for example, material evidence such as textile fabric which may have survived from
antiquity in rare contexts due to being buried may be lost due to the top layers of the site
being uncovered.
However, as cosmologist Martin Rees and astronomer Carl Sagan have said ‘absence of
evidence is not evidence of absence’ which is highly relevant within the field of prehistoric
archaeology as often archaeologists must work with missing pieces and theorize in order to
understand a site.
Due to the substantial gaps that exist in the prehistoric record, there are many periods of time,
inventions and materials – particularly those that were made out of perishable materials such
as wood or textile fabrics, that have been lost to time or that are incredibly difficult to locate
due to the conditions that must exist in order for them to survive. It is because of these gaps
that in order to understand the physical evidence that has been recovered prehistoric
archaeologists, as well as their counterparts in the sibling fields of archaeology, must make
educated guesses as to what is there and what should be there based on the finds that they
have.
The variety of theories regarding the purpose of objects or sites for example obliges
archaeologists to adopt a critical approach to all evidence and to examine their own
constructs of the past. Structural functionalism and processualism are two schools of
archaeological thought which have made a great contribution to prehistoric archaeolog

Prehistoric archaeological site of Çatalhöyük

Prehistoric settlements are scattered all over the world, they vary in age and size. The period
in which prehistoric archaeology covers is most often the Stone, Bronze and Iron ages, within
each of these ages’ periods such as the Neolithic within the Stone age are explored deeply. In
Western Europe the prehistoric period ends with Roman colonization in 43 AD, with some
non-Romanized areas the period does not end until as late as the 5th Century AD. Although
in many other places, notably Egypt (at the end of the Third Intermediate Period it finishes
much earlier and in others, such as Australia, much later. Some of the main sites that are
being studied are; Çatalhöyük in Turkey, the Chauvet Cave in southern France, Bouldnor
Cliff Mesolithic Village in the United Kingdom and Franchthi in Greece among many others.
New sites are being uncovered regularly.
Other issues within the field of prehistoric archaeology which also affect every other branch
of archaeology is the ethics of removing artefacts and or storing finds in museums. This
moral question is a delicate balance within prehistoric archaeology as all finds and bodies
must be treated with respect but archaeologists also wish to study them in order to further
their understanding of the different origins of humanity.
Definition and Scope
Prehistoric archaeology focuses on artefacts, civilizations, and other materials from societies
that existed before written records. It encompasses ages such as the Stone Age, Bronze Age,
Iron Age, and even the Neolithic period.
Unlike other archaeology fields that may be region-specific, prehistoric archaeology
transcends continents, with excavations occurring worldwide to uncover diverse settlements
and civilizations.
Material Remains
Since written records are absent, prehistoric archaeologists rely solely on material evidence.
This includes:
• Pottery
• Burial goods
• Human and animal remains (bones)
• Jewellery and decorative items
And many other artefacts.
Challenges and Interpretations
The lack of concrete information about individuals means that prehistoric archaeologists
often discuss cultures rather than specific people.
These ancient individuals remain anonymous in the archaeological record, making the field
both intriguing and contentious.
Arguments within prehistoric archaeology have significantly contributed to the development
of archaeological theory.
Origins and Timeline
Prehistoric archaeology emerged in the late 1820s or early 1830s.
Its creation is attributed to multiple individuals, making a definitive timeline challenging1.
In summary, prehistoric archaeology unravels the mysteries of ancient cultures, revealing
glimpses of humanity’s distant past.