What are the different kinds of archaeology, how did each originate, and in what larger discipline?
Many of them overlap, and many do not have a completely anthropological viewpoint. Some immediately think of archaeology in terms of Egypt or Rome, not realizing you can do it anywhere; someone probably has, right where you live. Much of classical archaeology concerns what Western culture considers the classic civilizations of western Asia, Egypt, and Europe, and the study of these derives in large part from history, philology (study of ancient texts), and art history. Prehistoric is often distinguished from historic archaeology, the latter being study of cultures who have written history. Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish the boundary between history and prehistory, since early writing systems do not tell us everything and that boundary is at radically different times in different places. When does history begin here in Florida? As soon as the first Spanish arrive in the early sixteenth century and write down what they see of the native people they encountered. Are these accoun
