ARCHAEOLOGY

Archaeology

Study of things people have left behind from prehistoric times

Archaeologists

People who study and practise archaeology

Artefacts

A man-made object

Archaeologists are like detectives

They seek and gather evidence from the past and attempt to figure out how people lived long ago

Pre-Dig (5)

Aerial photography, geophysical surveys, field walking, local knowledge, permission

Aerial photography

Photographs taken from the air can show ancient remains and crop marks

Geophysical surveys

Metal detectors or other electronic probes

Field walking

Walking over the site and looking carefully

Local knowledge

Old maps, oral evidence or nearby finds

Permission

Must get a permit before any action

During Dig

Topsoil, site grid, tools

Topsoil

Topsoil is removed

Site grid

Site is divided into different squares, and a site grid is drawn

Tools (4)

Trowel, sieve, brushes, photographic scales

Trowel

Main tool used for excavation

Sieve

Used to separate the soil from any object that may be dug up

After Dig

Carbon dating, dendrochronology, stratigraphy

Carbon dating

All living things contain a chemical called carbon 14. When it dies, the amount decreases, allowing archaeologists to figure out its age (accurate up to 50,000 years)

Dendrochronology

Uses the annual growth increments and rings around a tree to give a precise estimation of the age of an object

Stratigraphy

Uses the layers of soil and rock to help date artefacts and understand the sequence of past human and geological event

Cashel Man

Oldest fleshed body to be discovered in Ireland so far

The acid in the peat

Had preserved the body, including the skin and hair

Carbon dating showed

He probably lived and died around 2000 BC

From his injuries

It is believed that he was killed as a sacrifice to the gods