archaeology
/ˌɑːkɪˈɒlədʒi
/(US also archeology)
noun [mass noun]
The study of human history and prehistory through the excavation of sites and the analysis of artefacts and other physical remains.Jaromir Malek studied Egyptology and archaeology at Charles University, Prague....
- I am not a professional archaeologist, but a member of the public with an interest in archaeology and history.
- The awkward relationship between archaeology and history is an old problem.
Derivatives
archaeologize
- Though impressive in scale, the architecture is not specific enough to invite fussy archeologizing.
- Having exhausted sites of the remote past, Berlin is now archeologizing itself.
- It is in this currently very momentous site of literary and cultural research that I am comparatively archeologizing.
Origin
Early 17th century (in the sense 'ancient history'): from modern Latin archaeologia, from Greek arkhaiologia 'ancient history', from arkhaios 'ancient'. The current sense dates from the mid 19th century.