Indiana Jones: Myth, Reality And 21st Century Archaeology

Over the past half century the domain of archaeology has increasingly migrated into the natural sciences. Geology, in particular, is a likely avenue for examining the nature of archaeological remains, since the earth and soil preserve cultural remains. It follows that an understanding of the composition and transformation of the geological layers that contain archaeology goes a long way in explaining why people lived in certain places and how the evidence of their activities is preserved. Geoarchaeologists can tell us about the processes and environments that account for an archaeological site. The reach of geoarchaeology extends into environmental reconstruction, dating of key events associated with human and natural events, and the climates in which various cultures thrived. Today's special guests, Dr. Vance Holliday and Dr. Sarah Sherwood, discuss the unique perspectives that geoarchaeologists bring to a more comprehensive understanding of contemporary archaeology.