What is Archaeology?
Archaeology is a method for studying the people that lived long ago in Idaho's past. Archaeologists, scientists who study archaeology, learn about them by analyzing objects left behind by ancient people in places where they lived, traveled and worked. Since they did not write their stories or information down, this time is referred to as prehistory. About 200 years ago after the time Lewis and Clark made their trek to the West, people started to produce written records. This time is referred to as history.
Even though ancient peoples in Idaho did not write down their stories, they left them in other ways. They left us stories in the earth, in the ruins of their camps or in the things they made and used. We know about them because of what remains and what they left behind. We use archaeology help us read these stories. As we learn about the stories, we better understand how ancient people lived.
We can also learn about the past by studying the written or oral stories of the people in the past. During Idaho's prehistory, people told their stories. Parents told their stories to their children and those children in turn told the stories to their children, and so on. From oral and written stories, we can learn about ancient peoples' culture. Culture is the common characteristics or ways of living shared by people and may include religious beliefs, art, education, methods of agriculture and transportation, dwellings and recreation.
Another way ancient peoples shared their stories was through rock art. Prehistoric peoples all over the world made rock art. They pecked and chipped or painted their stories onto rocks, walls of caves and along cliffs. We can find rock art in Idaho today.
Next page: Archaeology FUNdamentals
