ARCHAEOLOGY
Moche Lords of Sipán
In 1987 and
1990 in Sipán, Peru, archaeologists discovered the tombs of royal
lords of the ancient Moche culture.
The Moche
civilization occupied the northern coastal region of Peru from about
100 to 800 AD.
Archaeology
is the study of history through the things that people in the
past made or built. They may include tools, pottery, houses, temples,
or graves. Even a garbage pit can help to reveal how people lived at a
particular time in past.
How do scientists study
life in the distant past?
There are three main ways scientists use to study prehistoric life or
life in the distant past. They are:
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Archaeological Digs:
The best source of
learning about prehistoric way of life is a “dig”—a site where
archaeologists sometimes find some artefacts (ancient tools, pottery,
jewellery or weapons). They study the sites and artefacts carefully
and learn a great deal about ancient peoples and their cultures.
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Acheulean hand axe
From Tanzania, about 700,000 years old. |
Nefertiti
This painted limestone bust of the ancient Egyptian queen
Nefertiti dates from about 1350 BC |
Corinthian Pottery
Ancient Greece—
from 400 BC |
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Fossils
Fossils are the hardened remains or impressions of animals and plants
in rock form that lived a very long time ago. A fossil may be a shell,
a bone, a tooth, a leaf, a skeleton or even sometimes an entire
animal. By studying fossils scientists can tell what kinds of plants
or animals were used by prehistoric people.
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Carbonized
Leaf |
Fossiliferous Limestone |
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Carbon 14 Dating:
All living organisms
contain a certain amount of radio-active material called carbon 14.
When a plant or animal dies the carbon 14 begins to decrease at a
fixed rate. By analyzing how much carbon 14 is left in a piece of
wood, a bone or other once living material, scientist can tell its
approximate age.
|
Eryops:
An amphibian lived approximately 250 million years ago.
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