Archaeology

The study of our human past through the objects left behind, such as tools, buildings, artifacts, and landscapes.
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Archaeological Digging Site: Two Archeologists Work on Excavation Site, Carefully Cleaning, Lifting Newly Discovered Ancient Civilization Cultural Artifact, Historic Clay Tablet, Fossil Remains
Updated April 29, 2026

Overview

This section provides a brief introduction to the field of archaeology, including its main areas of study, key questions, and other topics important to archaeology research.  

Archaeology is the study of the human past through the excavation, examination, and analysis of artifacts, structures, and other physical remains left by past peoples and cultures. This includes objects people made, used, or left behind, such as tools, buildings, pottery, bones, or trash.

Archaeologists study and analyze materials to learn about how people lived, what they believed, how they organized their societies, and how they interacted with their environments.

 

They study tools, pottery, buildings, bones, seeds, waste dumps, and burial sites. Basically, they study anything humans left behind, from ancient cave paintings to modern landfills. They record, map, and catalog everything they find for further analysis.

Archaeology has many specialized fields, organized by time period, geography, method, or subject matter.

 

For example, regions and cultures include classical archaeology (ancient Greece and Rome), Egyptology and Near Eastern archaeology, Mesoamerican and Andean archaeology, Biblical archaeology, and East Asian, South Asian, and African archaeology.

 

Time periods include prehistoric archaeology, historical archaeology and medieval archaeology.

 

Environmental fields of archaeology include underwater and maritime archaeology, aerial and remote-sensing archaeology, archaeobotany and paleoethnobotany (plant remains), and geoarchaeology.

 

One of the most popular fields is forensic archaeology, used at crime scenes, mass graves, and disaster recovery.

Other subject areas important to archaeological studies include ecology and biology, economics, sociology, history, psychology, and geography.

Archaeology majors go on to work in a wide range of fields, including museums and historical societies, universities and research institutes, federal agencies, and education. If you’re thinking about majoring in archaeology, these resources can provide useful background information and help guide your next steps. They explain what to expect from the major and the wide variety of career paths available to you.

 

Archaeology Reference

Archaeology isn’t just about excavating artifacts. It involves interpreting human history across thousands (and in some cases millions) of years and many world regions. Reference sources help researchers, students, and professionals make sense of this wide-ranging material.  Below, we provide a comprehensive list of reference resources. We provide links to either the publisher’s websites or Amazon for further details and descriptions.

 

Archaeology Databases

Searching general or multi-disciplinary databases can sometimes give you too many results. To narrow your focus, try using a database dedicated to subject research. The list below highlights the top databases for finding subject journals and articles. The following research databases specialize in subjects covering archaeology.

The Annual Review of Anthropology is a peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes comprehensive literature review articles in anthropology. Each year, a new volume is released consisting of articles written by leading academics in the field, providing overviews of the most important and influential research and scholarship in anthropology.

Anthropology Plus combines the content of two prominent anthropology databases:  Anthropological Index Online (AIO) and Anthropological Literature (AL). It provides access to a wide range of anthropology-related scholarly literature, including journal articles, books, book chapters, conference proceedings, and reports.  Available exclusively on the EBSCOhost platform.

Anthrosource is an online platform for anthropological research. Produced by the American Anthropological Association (AAA) it provides access to scholarly journals, newsletters, and bulletins published by the AAA and other affiliated organizations.

 Electronic Human Relations Area Files (eHRAF)  is an online anthropological database that provides access to a large collection of ethnographic information about cultures from around the world. It is a unique resource that allows researchers to explore and compare cultural information across different societies and time periods. eHRAF contains ethnographic data from various sources, including books, articles, dissertations, and field reports.

GeoRef is a database for geoscience research, produced by the American Geosciences Institute. It indexes millions of references to journal articles, books, maps, conference papers, and reports covering geology and related fields from the 17th century to today. Topics span everything from earthquakes, volcanoes, and fossils to environmental geology, hydrogeology, and planetary science. GeoRef is available through several different vendors and platforms, including: EBSCO, Engineering Village, GeoScienceWorld, ProQuest, and Ovid.

L’Année Philologique is the leading international index for classical studies, covering scholarship on the languages, literature, history, philosophy, art, archaeology, and culture of ancient Greece and Rome. It includes references to journal articles, books, reviews, and conference proceedings from 1924 to the present.

L'année philologique

The Digital Archaeological Record (tDAR) is a digital repository and database designed to preserve and provide access to archaeological data. It hosts excavation reports, images, maps, datasets, and other research materials from projects around the world.  tDAR stores original research data so that future scholars can reuse, compare, and build on past work.

Archaeology Journals

Journal Citation Reports (JCR) is widely regarded as the leading subscription-based resource for identifying high-quality, peer-reviewed journals and assessing the impact, influence, and quality of scholarly journals across disciplines, including anthropology. To learn more about JCR and journal impact, go to Journal Databases.

Most Cited Journals

Journal Citation Reports ranks the Journal of Archaeological Science as the most-cited archaeology journal for 2024. To review the complete JCR list of highly cited archaeology journals, go to Journal Citation Reports and choose Categories > Social Sciences, General > Archaeology.  Listed below are the 10 most cited archaeology journals for 2024.

American Antiquity

American Antiquity is a leading peer-reviewed scholarly journal in archaeology focused on the archaeology of the Americas. It’s been published by the Society for American Archaeology since 1935. It publishes research on topics related to human history in North, Central, and South America, including archaeological theory and methods, ancient technologies and artifacts, and indigenous cultures.

Journal Site

Journal of Cultural Heritage

Journal of Cultural Heritage is a peer-reviewed academic journal focused on the care, preservation, and scientific study of cultural heritage. The journal publishes research on how museums, conservators, archaeologists, and heritage professionals analyze, protect, restore, and manage cultural objects and sites. This includes artworks, historic buildings, archaeological materials, manuscripts, monuments, and museum collections. 

Journal Site

Journal of Archaeological Science Reports

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports is a peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes research focused on archaeological scientific methods. Articles cover archaeology techniques in fields such as chemistry, biology, geology, and materials science. The journal covers topics such as artifact analysis, dating methods, ancient diets, environmental reconstruction, and new laboratory or analytical approaches.

Journal Site

Antiquity a review of world archaeology

Antiquity is a leading peer-reviewed archaeology journal publishing global research across all time periods, from the earliest human origins to contemporary archaeological theory.

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American Antiquity

American Antiquity is a leading peer-reviewed scholarly journal in archaeology focused on the archaeology of the Americas. It’s been published by the Society for American Archaeology since 1935. It publishes research on topics related to human history in North, Central, and South America, including archaeological theory and methods, ancient technologies and artifacts, and indigenous cultures.

Journal Site

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Archaeology News

Archaeology news sources and magazines highlight the emerging research topics and trends, sparking ideas for research questions and assignments. Remember that magazines are written for the general public and lack peer review, while scholarly articles are written by experts and reviewed by other scholars for accuracy and research quality.

Archaeology Methods

The following resources provide in-depth information on various research design concepts, methodologies, and techniques specific to archaeology.
Do You Know
Archaeologists work with NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) to locate and study shipwrecks, submerged cities, and ancient coastlines using the same sonar, satellite mapping, and underwater robotics designed for ocean and climate research. Learn More
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Source: NOAA ONMS (Public Domain)