Definition of archaeology
1 : the scientific study of material remains (such as fossil relics, artifacts, 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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Recent Examples of archaeology from the Web
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It was foreseen in the planning for Linea C that there would be plenty of time set aside for archaeology ...
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Tracy Achonwa is a student at University College London (UCL), studying archaeology.
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What followed was a foray into experimental archaeology.
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Gary Lock, emeritus professor of archaeology at Oxford, tells Horatio Clare at The Financial Times that the project is an attempt to get the public to recognize and protect the historic structures that are sprinkled around them.
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My mother and sisters have a serious interest in archaeology as well.
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Spend a week with UConn archaeologists exploring the world of field archaeology.
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Dewey works in anthropology and archaeology at Clatsop Community College and specializes in shipwrecks and told The Daily Astorian that the piece of wood is some type of old growth timber.
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The University of Idaho led an urban archaeology dig at the site during the fall of 2016.
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
ARCHAEOLOGY Defined for English Language Learners
archaeology
playDefinition of archaeology for English Language Learners
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: a science that deals with past human life and activities by studying the bones, tools, etc., of ancient people
ARCHAEOLOGY Defined for Kids
archaeology
playarcheology
\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
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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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