tour 9 of 15
Enlightenment: The Birth of Archaeology
Archaeologists
The activities of
antiquaries
in the eighteenth century laid the foundations of modern
archaeology. In particular, their growing awareness of the evidence
to be gained from the study of ancient artefacts led to increasing
emphasis on carefully recording the sites where they were
discovered.
By studying and
comparing objects such as handaxes, a number of antiquaries began
to create scales of the relative ages of different artefacts, based
on an understanding of human historical development. Most famously,
this resulted in the definitions of the different prehistoric ages
- Stone, Bronze and Iron - which are still used
today.
Antiquaries also
adapted the new understanding of
stratigraphy
that had developed in geology as a result of surveying and mining
throughout the country. By applying this type of analysis to the
prehistoric sites they were digging up, antiquaries developed the
techniques that are central to archaeology
today.