--- title: Archaeology description: Archaeology is the study of past human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. Learners will understand how to reconstruct ancient societies, interpret artifacts, and analyze the development of human civilizations over millennia. category: humanities subcategory: anthropology difficulty: beginner, intermediate, advanced url: /subject/archaeology --- # Archaeology Archaeology is the study of past human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. Learners will understand how to reconstruct ancient societies, interpret artifacts, and analyze the development of human civilizations over millennia. ## Available Resources 3 Books • 5 Courses • 4 Websites ## Websites ### 1. Digital Archaeological Record tDAR (the Digital Archaeological Record) is a free, searchable digital repository of archaeological site reports, datasets, and images contributed by researchers and institutions, supporting data preservation and reuse for research and teaching. **Difficulty:** Beginner | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://core.tdar.org/ **Tags:** archaeology, digital-archive, data-repository, research ### 2. archaeological.org The Archaeological Institute of America’s website offers archaeology news and feature articles (from Archaeology Magazine), plus teaching resources, fieldwork updates, and professional opportunities such as grants, fellowships, and events. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://archaeological.org **Tags:** websites, humanities-social-sciences, anthropology ### 3. trowelblazers.com TrowelBlazers is an educational site that spotlights women who shaped archaeology and paleontology, with biographies, historical essays, and interviews. It offers articles and teaching resources to help learners explore the discipline's history and contemporary practice. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://trowelblazers.com **Tags:** websites, humanities-social-sciences, anthropology ### 4. digventures.com DigVentures is an archaeology-focused platform that funds and runs digs through crowdfunding and public participation. It features crowdfunding campaigns, fieldwork updates and reports, training resources, and engaging archaeology media for learners and enthusiasts. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://digventures.com **Tags:** websites, humanities-social-sciences, anthropology ## Courses ### 1. Archaeology of Portus Explore the archaeology of Portus, Rome's ancient harbor, with this online course from the University of Southampton. Discover Roman history! **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/archaeology-portus **Tags:** archaeology, roman-history, excavation, fieldwork ### 2. Archaeoastronomy **Author:** Giulio Magli Politecnico di Milano course by Giulio Magli on archaeoastronomy, the study of how ancient builders aligned monuments with celestial events. Covers naked-eye astronomy, measuring and statistically testing alignments, and case studies including Stonehenge, the Egyptian pyramids, Chichen Itza, Machu Picchu and Angkor Wat. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://www.coursera.org/learn/archaeoastronomy **Tags:** archaeoastronomy, archaeology, ancient-astronomy, monument-alignments, cultural-astronomy ### 3. Introduction to Archaeology: Archaeology as Science **Author:** Molly Morgan Rice University's Coursera course on the scientific methods behind archaeological fieldwork: excavation and recording, sediment and plant analysis, zooarchaeology and stable isotopes, GIS and LiDAR survey, and radiocarbon and tree-ring dating, showing how archaeologists recover and interpret physical evidence from sites. **Difficulty:** Beginner | **Language:** English | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://www.coursera.org/learn/archaeology-as-science **Tags:** archaeological-methods, archaeological-science, excavation, archaeological-dating, zooarchaeology, gis ### 4. Archaeology and Heritage of Africa **Author:** Sofia Fonseca, Jörg Linstädter Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona introductory course on African archaeology, covering archaeological methods and heritage management, then case studies such as early farming communities in Mozambique and Brandberg rock art. Gives an overview of how archaeologists investigate and protect African sites. **Difficulty:** Beginner | **Language:** English | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://www.coursera.org/learn/archaeology-heritage-africa **Tags:** african-archaeology, heritage-management, rock-art, archaeological-methods, african-history ### 5. Archaeology A Coursera course examining Roman art and archaeology, covering sculpture, architecture, urban planning, and material culture across the Roman Empire. Learners study key monuments and artifacts to understand Roman visual culture and daily life. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://www.coursera.org/learn/roman-art-archaeology **Tags:** courses, humanities-social-sciences, anthropology ## Podcasts ### 1. Archaeological Fantasies **Author:** Sara Head Long-running podcast in which archaeologist Sara Head and guest experts critically examine pseudoarchaeological claims such as ancient aliens, pre-Columbian transoceanic contact and Vikings in America. Listeners learn how archaeological evidence and scientific reasoning are used to test extraordinary claims about the past. **Difficulty:** Beginner | **Language:** en-us | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/archaeological-fantasies-podcast/id1404691339 **Tags:** pseudoarchaeology, archaeology, scientific-skepticism, public-archaeology ## Books ### 1. Archaeology: Theories, Methods and Practice **Author:** Colin Renfrew, Paul Bahn A comprehensive textbook covering archaeological theory, excavation methods, dating techniques, and analysis of artifacts and sites. Written by leading archaeologists, it surveys how archaeologists investigate past societies from fieldwork through interpretation and publication. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Paid **Link:** https://www.amazon.com/dp/0500278679?tag=edmonddante07-20 **Tags:** books, humanities-social-sciences, anthropology ### 2. Doing Archaeology: A Cultural Resource Management Perspective **Author:** Thomas F. King Short introductory text by heritage consultant Thomas F. King that explains core archaeological principles through the lens of cultural resource management, drawing on his own fieldwork and US compliance practice. Readers understand how archaeology operates within the laws and processes that protect historic sites. **Difficulty:** Beginner | **Language:** English | **Price:** Paid **Link:** https://www.amazon.com/dp/1598740032?tag=edmonddante07-20 **Tags:** cultural-resource-management, heritage-management, archaeology, historic-preservation ### 3. Frauds, Myths and Mysteries **Author:** Kenneth L. Feder A critical examination of pseudoscientific claims in archaeology, from ancient astronauts to Atlantis. Readers learn how to apply scientific reasoning to evaluate extraordinary archaeological claims and distinguish evidence-based conclusions from myth. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Paid **Link:** https://www.amazon.com/dp/0874849713?tag=edmonddante07-20 **Tags:** books, humanities-social-sciences, anthropology --- *This content is part of Dantes.io - Your Treasure Map to Knowledge* *Curated by humans at Dantes.io. Personal study use welcome; republishing this curation requires permission (team@dantes.io).* View this page online: https://dantes.io/subject/archaeology