The methods used by archaeologists to gather data can be applied
to any time period, including the very recent past. One
archaeologist in the U.S. has become known for his study of the
garbage discarded by the people of Tuscon, Arizona in the 1970s!
This “garbology” project proved that even recent artifacts can
reveal a lot about the people who used and discarded them. Over
the past 150 years archaeologists have developed many effective
methods and techniques for studying the past. Archaeologists
also rely upon methods from other fields such as history,
botany, geology, and soil science. In this section of Methods of
Gathering Data you will learn how archaeologists gather and
analyze information by utilizing historical research techniques,
field methods for data recovery, and laboratory analyses. Back
to top Historical Research Techniques Every archaeology project
begins with a research design –a plan that describes why the
archaeology is being done, what research questions it hopes to
answer, and the methods