archaeology

noun

ar·​chae·​ol·​o·​gy ˌär-kē-ˈä-lə-jē How to pronounce archaeology (audio)
variants or archeology
1
: the scientific study of material remains (such as tools, pottery, jewelry, stone walls, and monuments) of past human life and activities
2
: remains of the culture of a people : antiquities
the archaeology of the Incas
archaeological adjective
archaeologically adverb
archaeologist noun

Examples of archaeology in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Take a closer look at a find that has stunned the archaeology world. Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024 Tim Williams, professor of silk roads archaeology at University College London in England, emphasized the significance of the findings, which reveal a more complex upland urban landscape than previously imagined. Hannah Peart, NBC News, 24 Oct. 2024 Learn about archaeology and Indigenous culture in Borrego Springs The Colorado Desert Archaeology Society will host a free archaeology day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and on Sunday at the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park visitor center (200 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs). Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2024 Although lidar was developed in the 1960s to study clouds and atmospheric particles, its application in archaeology is relatively recent. Anna Lagos, WIRED, 30 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for archaeology 

Word History

Etymology

French archéologie, from Late Latin archaeologia antiquarian lore, from Greek archaiologia, from archaio- + -logia -logy

First Known Use

1782, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of archaeology was in 1782

Dictionary Entries Near archaeology

Cite this Entry

“Archaeology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/archaeology. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

archaeology

noun
ar·​chae·​ol·​o·​gy
variants or archeology
: the science that deals with past human life as shown by fossil relics and the monuments and tools left by ancient peoples
archaeological adjective
archaeologist noun

More from Merriam-Webster on archaeology

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