Human beings have consistently been intrigued by past events, as they aid in understanding the development of civilization. Studying the past is crucial since the information and facts about our ancestors offer perspectives to various problems that we face today, as well as the causes of the rise and fall of civilizations. Two deeply interconnected fields of study, history and archaeology, often cause confusion. Both historians and archaeologists strive to comprehend and reveal the past in different ways, but there are differences in approach and style.
History refers to the interpretation of past events in the words of a historian. It is an academic study of past occurrences without being judgmental or subjective. The primary job of a historian is to record information and facts based on past narratives and recall the entire sequence of events without bias. History begins from the time writing was invented, and people started to keep records of events. Events belonging to a period before history are called prehistory and include events and people that are beyond the scope of history, as they cannot be verified. History comprises authentic information about the past as and when it happened (and also why).
On the other hand, archaeology is a field of study that tries to discover information about the past by excavating artifacts and analyzing them to recall the sequence of events of that time. In this sense, it is close to history, although archaeological findings can never be as authentic as the facts contained in history, as they are based on narratives written by people from the past. In contrast, there is no such evidence in support of archaeological artifacts, and archaeologists often attempt to piece together loose ends based on their experience.
Key Takeaways
- Archaeology ends where history begins.
- Archaeology studies events, people, their behavior, and their lifestyles from a period when writing had not been invented, and all information is deduced based on artifacts that are excavated.
- History involves rewriting past events with the help of narratives written by people of the past.
