The remains of ancient cities, people and their belongings are of great importance to historians. They can provide information about our ancestors and tell us how human behaviour has changed over time. Often the position of artefacts, along with their location and surroundings, can allow the experts who excavate these sites – called archaeologists – to put the pieces together to discover the items’ stories. Trained to know what to look for, these professionals know how to uncover historic treasures while limiting any damage. Large groups of experts work together on a dig to analyse every grain of soil in the plot. But what steps do they need to take when unearthing a historically valuable site?
The two main types of archaeology are historic and prehistoric, with the latter looking for clues about undocumented history
© Alamy