He endorsed the idea that materials, technologies, and objects of antiquity should be studied for their functionality and for the discovery of ancient manufacturing techniques. This attitude was criticized by the polymath official Shen Kuo in his Dream Pool Essays of 1088. Neo-Confucian scholar-officials were generally concerned with archaeological pursuits in order to revive the use of ancient Shang, Zhou, and Han relics in state rituals. ĭuring the Song Dynasty period (960–1279) in China, educated gentry became interested in the antiquarian pursuit of art collecting. Tentative steps towards the systematization of archaeology as a science took place during the Enlightenment era in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. Antiquarianism also focused on the empirical evidence that existed for the understanding of the past, encapsulated in the motto of the 18th-century antiquary Sir Richard Colt Hoare, "We speak from facts not theory". They collected artifacts and displayed them in cabinets of curios. Antiquarians studied history with particular attention to ancient artifacts and manuscripts, as well as historical sites. Excavated in Rome in 1506.Īrchaeology later concerned itself with the antiquarianism movement. Laocoön and His Sons, Greek sculpture from the 1st century BCE, Vatican Museums. However, scholars have found errors in his records and believe he probably did not go as far down the Nile as he claimed. He discussed the causes and consequences of the Greco-Persian Wars. He is known for a set of nine books called the Histories, in which he wrote everything he could learn about different regions. He was also the first to make a compelling narrative of the past. He was the first western scholar to systematically collect artifacts and test their accuracy. Įarly systemic investigation and historiography can be traced back to the Greek historian Herodotus (c. Even though his estimate was inaccurate by about 1,500 years, it was still a very good one considering the lack of accurate dating technology at the time. He was also the first to date an archaeological artifact in his attempt to date Naram-Sin's temple during his search for it. Not only did he lead the first excavations which were to find the foundation deposits of the temples of Šamaš the sun god, the warrior goddess Anunitu (both located in Sippar), and the sanctuary that Naram-Sin built to the moon god, located in Harran, but he also had them restored to their former glory. In Ancient Mesopotamia, a foundation deposit of the Akkadian Empire ruler Naram-Sin (ruled circa 2200 BCE) was discovered and analysed by king Nabonidus, circa 550 BCE, who is thus known as the first archaeologist. Due to his activities, he is sometimes nicknamed "the first Egyptologist". Khaemweset, a son of ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Ramesses II, was known for his keen interest in identifying and restoring monuments of Egypt's past, such as Djoser's step pyramid from the 27th century BC. "Archaeology", from 1607 onwards, initially meant what we would call "ancient history" generally, with the narrower modern sense first seen in 1837.Ĭuneiform account of the excavation of a foundation deposit belonging to Naram-Sin of Akkad (ruled c. The OED first cites "archaeologist" from 1824 this soon took over as the usual term for one major branch of antiquarian activity. During this time there were also significant advances in the technology used in the field. It evolved into a much more systematic discipline in the late 19th century and became a widely used tool for historical and anthropological research in the 20th century. The antiquarian movement shifted into nationalism as personal collections turned into national museums. The 15th and 16th centuries saw the rise of antiquarians in Renaissance Europe who were interested in the collection of artifacts. In the Song Empire (960–1279) of Imperial China, Chinese scholar-officials unearthed, studied, and cataloged ancient artifacts.
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The 5th-century-BCE Greek historian Herodotus was the first scholar to systematically study the past and perhaps the first to examine artifacts. The development of the field of archaeology has it roots with history and with those who were interested in the past, such as kings and queens who wanted to show past glories of their respective nations. Archaeology is the study of human activity in the past, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts (also known as eco-facts) and cultural landscapes (the archaeological record).