Introduction to Archaeology

This publication is intended for first-year archaeology students, aiming to ease their entry into the academic study of archaeology. It is designed to familiarise them with the basic terminology of the field, the history of archaeology, the principles of periodisation for prehistory and the early historical period, and with the main figures in the discipline, both past and present. The second part of the work discusses the fundamentals of the field's methodology, which are illustrated with a series of specific case studies. It defines the individual entities of the two basic series of archaeological concepts: the horizontal-geographical series (civilisation – sphere – archaeological culture – group – type) and the vertical-chronological series (period or stage – phase – sub-phase – horizon). It also presents methods for determining the ethnicity of prehistoric cultures, methods of absolute and relative chronology, methods for studying the spiritual life of people in prehistory and the Early Middle Ages, and methods for studying the economy and the resulting socio-economic system of the various stages of prehistory and the early historical period. Finally, a chapter on the outputs of archaeological research and on scientific ethics is included, along with a comprehensive glossary of technical terms.