archaeology

noun ar·chae·ol·o·gy \ ˌär-kē-ˈä-lə-jē \

variants: or archeology

Updated on: 15 Apr 2018

Definition of archaeology

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

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archaeological

play \ˌär-kē-ə-ˈlä-ji-kəl\ adjective

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archaeologically

play \-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

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archaeologist

play \ˌär-kē-ˈä-lə-jist\ noun

See archaeology defined for English-language learners

See archaeology defined for kids

Recent Examples of archaeology from the Web

Visit and learn about archaeology with hands-on experiments.

— chronicle staff report, San Francisco Chronicle, "Kids events," 12 Apr. 2018
Lately, however, such controversy has shifted from linguistics and archaeology to genetics.

— The Economist, "A new study squelches a treasured theory about Indians’ origins," 5 Apr. 2018
Jeanne Lambin, 48, was part of an archaeology team hired to investigate the Dunning grounds in 1989 shortly after a backhoe operator struck a corpse while developing condos.

— nereida moreno, chicagotribune.com, "As workers dig at new CPS school site, they try to avoid Dunning’s unmarked graves," 5 Apr. 2018
Why an art and archaeology exhibition is at a science museum is not exactly clear.

— christopher knight, latimes.com, "How good is the King Tut exhibition? An art critic weighs in," 29 Mar. 2018
The tour, which Mr. Chatah gives every Sunday afternoon, also seeks to bring to life the culture and history of a Middle Eastern capital better known internationally for its wars and assassinations than for its architecture and archaeology.

— ben hubbard, New York Times, "Walking Tour of a City’s History, Assassinations Included," 7 Feb. 2018
Later, he was accepted to NYU and designed his own major to focus on humanities and archaeology.

— hannah orenstein, Seventeen, "19 Things You Didn't Know About Cole Sprouse," 17 Oct. 2017
The impact of this narrative led to some of early America’s most rigorous archaeology, as the quest to determine where these mounds came from became salacious conversation pieces for America’s middle and upper classes.

— sarah e. baires, Smithsonian, "White Settlers Buried the Truth About the Midwest’s Mysterious Mound Cities," 23 Feb. 2018
The State Museum has a variety of camps that cater to interests such as archaeology, crime scene forensics and fashion.

— emily udell, Indianapolis Star, "25 best summer camps for curious kids in Central Indiana," 18 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'archaeology.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of archaeology

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1837

See Words from the same year

Other Archaeology Terms

Attic, Byzantine, Paleolithic, cairn, core, flint, horizon, neolithic, shard, stratum

ARCHAEOLOGY Defined for English Language Learners

archaeology

noun

Definition of archaeology for English Language Learners

: a science that deals with past human life and activities by studying the bones, tools, etc., of ancient people

ARCHAEOLOGY Defined for Kids

archaeology

noun ar·chae·ol·o·gy

variants: or archeology \ˌär-kē-ˈä-lə-jē\

Definition of archaeology for Students

: a science that deals with past human life and activities as shown by objects (as pottery, tools, and statues) left by ancient peoples

Learn More about archaeology

Spanish Central: Translation of archaeology Nglish: Translation of archaeology for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of archaeology for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about archaeology

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archaeology

Definition of archaeology

archaeological

archaeologically

archaeologist

Recent Examples of archaeology from the Web

Origin and Etymology of archaeology

Other Archaeology Terms

ARCHAEOLOGY Defined for English Language Learners

archaeology

Definition of archaeology for English Language Learners

ARCHAEOLOGY Defined for Kids

archaeology

Definition of archaeology for Students

Learn More about archaeology

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archaeology

Definition of archaeology

archaeological

archaeologically

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archaeology

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