Great timing, thanks for posting. I’m beginning my own journey with a Bachelor of Archaeology today with equal parts excitement and apprehension.

This is the best summary I could come up with:

Using a battery of scientific techniques, as well as historical and anthropological knowledge, the anthropologist-archaeologist-mountaineers who discovered Juanita were able to unpick the story of her final months, weeks and hours.

They looked more hobo than emeritus professor, but it was clear they were intellectual and scientific heavyweights, piecing together the story of a complex site that spanned thousands of years of human activity.

The real value of these myriad material remains is in how they connect to each other – where the flakes of a flint tool are situated in relation to a fireplace, how a shrine is aligned with the sunrise, or how a site has been reused and reshaped by successive generations.

Television shows such as Digging for Britain and Time Team capture the wonder of discovering that past, the precision of archaeological techniques, and several big, tricky questions.

How did people in the past tackle the challenges of life we still grapple with today – whether that’s how to build a rainproof roof, grow food, carry babies comfortably, choose a leader, make sense of death or keep their loved ones safe?

You keep going in all weathers, you have to combine physical skill with mental agility, and you pay close attention to tiny details while holding the big picture in mind.

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