There's confusion that lingers upon in mind regarding archaeology...whether it's a part of history ??......if it's not then it's about what..........is it a science or arts.....so much questions bubble up...
But , the actual truth is....Archaeology is neither history nor science.....it's a subject where different fields are applied in order to get a desired result...it's a kind of amalgamation .
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ARCHAEOLOGY AND HISTORY:-
Archaeology often greatly helps in reconstructing history. In fact, it's the only source of the reconstruction of the human past in the prehistoric times. Archaeology is the part of history where it means the whole history of humankind from it's beginning over three million years ago. The study of past materials culture is the only significant source of information, if one sets aside physical anthropology, which focuses on our biological rather than cultural progress.
Conventional historical sources begin only with the introduction of written records around 3000 BC in western Asia and much later more other parts of the world (not until 1788 AD in Australia, for example). Though we find ample number of written records for reconstruction of the historical period, they may not always present a full view of the past happenings. There would be a number of missing links in the history, which have to be reconstructed for a better understanding of the human past. Archaeology comes to risk of supplying information to fill these gaps. Archaeology also helps in correcting the information obtained through the written records. Most of the written records contain euological phrases which many a time proved to wrong. For example— most of the inscriptions describe a king as ' Maha Rajadhi Raja' , 'Raja Parmesvara' , 'Chakravartin' etc. Which an verification prove to be highly exaggerated. The commonly drawn distinction is between prehistory— the period before written records.
In some countries, 'prehistory' is now considered a patronizing and derogatory term which implies that written texts are more valuable than oral histories until the arrival of the western techniques of the recording information. Apart from helping in the reconstruction of political history, archaeology also helps greatly in studying social history, providing an insight into the common man and his way of life. Another advantage of the information obtained through archaeological means over written records is the authenticity of the information.
The archaeological information is indisputable.
Thus, archaeology greatly helps in reconstructing the human past both of prehistoric and historic times.
Conventional historical sources begin only with the introduction of written records around 3000 BC in western Asia and much later more other parts of the world (not until 1788 AD in Australia, for example). Though we find ample number of written records for reconstruction of the historical period, they may not always present a full view of the past happenings. There would be a number of missing links in the history, which have to be reconstructed for a better understanding of the human past. Archaeology comes to risk of supplying information to fill these gaps. Archaeology also helps in correcting the information obtained through the written records. Most of the written records contain euological phrases which many a time proved to wrong. For example— most of the inscriptions describe a king as ' Maha Rajadhi Raja' , 'Raja Parmesvara' , 'Chakravartin' etc. Which an verification prove to be highly exaggerated. The commonly drawn distinction is between prehistory— the period before written records.
In some countries, 'prehistory' is now considered a patronizing and derogatory term which implies that written texts are more valuable than oral histories until the arrival of the western techniques of the recording information. Apart from helping in the reconstruction of political history, archaeology also helps greatly in studying social history, providing an insight into the common man and his way of life. Another advantage of the information obtained through archaeological means over written records is the authenticity of the information.
The archaeological information is indisputable.
Thus, archaeology greatly helps in reconstructing the human past both of prehistoric and historic times.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ARCHAEOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY:
Both archaeology and anthropology are connected with human beings, whether in the past or present. Anthropology at its broadest is the study of humanity— our physical characteristics as animals and our unique non-biological characteristics that we call 'culture'. Culture in the sense includes what the anthropologist Edward Taylor usually summarized in 1871 as " knowledge, beliefs, art , morals , law, custom and any other capabilities and habits acquired by Mann as a member of society." While , archaeology is the past tense of cultural anthropology. Archaeologists study past societies primarily through their material remains— the buildings, tools, and other artifacts that constitute what is known as the materials culture left over from former societies.
Large quantities of bones of human beings as well as of animals are found in the excavations. Anthropologists are always associated with the archaeological excavations to study the bones and assess the racial composition, age, sex, nature of death,etc. For example— a careful examination of the teeth at Mahurjhari in Vidarbha has revealed smoking habit of the people residing there some 2500 years ago.
All these results could be obtained only by the associating anthropologists in the study of material unearthed in archaeological excavations. The traditions which are observed by many communities today have their origins in the past. For example— In central India , on a particular day women worship rice shoots planted on a plaque of mud. A similar customs depicted on Indus valley seal which is more than 4000 years old , revealing the continuation of this custom from those days to the present period. In fact, a subject known as 'Ethnoatchaeology' has developed in recent years. There are many numerous other aspects which could be studied by archaeologists by associating anthropologist in the investigations .
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