Outline what the excavations of Pompeii and Herculaneum tell archaeologists
ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION
How do Archaeologists Excavate Sites? We know a great deal about the life of Ancient Rome from documents of the time, and
also from the work of archaeologists. Archaeologists have excavated (dug) many sites connected to Ancient Rome. Their findings are housed in museums in Italy, Britain and in other countries that formed part of the Roman Empire.
KEY WORD
●❰Excavations show human activities at a particular time and changes over time. But because excavations destroy much of the evidence, everything has to be recorded.
A. 2.1
The Excavation Process: How We Excavate
Go onto YouTube and look up ‘The Excavation Process: How We Excavate’.
Who will be the expert on excavations?
1. The site is surveyed and an accurate plan is drawn up 2. Mechanical diggers take away topsoil, if necessary
3. A grid of squares is laid out to record the location of finds accurately
4. Archaeologists dig the ground carefully, using shovels and trowels
5. Archaeologists use brushes to clear around objects 6. Sieves are used to recover small artefacts (objects)
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7. All artefacts, bones and plants are numbered and stored in separate bags
8. All finds are catalogued in a site book or field computer 9. Photographs and drawings record the site 10. Finds are investigated in a laboratory
11. Finds are stored in museums (for example, The British Museum, www.britishmuseum.org)
