Archaeology
Categories
Anthropology, Paleontology, Data Science, Biology, Chemistry, Social Science, Earth Science
Supported By
Rachel Kropa
Like anyone from my generation, my very first introduction to archaeology was through Indiana Jones. When you start studying the subject, you quickly realize that’s not exactly how it works.
I started studying archaeology as an adult because I was always told it wasn't “practical” for a career. I waited a long time and ultimately decided to do it for fun.
To me archaeology research is important because I care deeply about the planet and its resources. Archaeology can help us understand why societies succeeded or failed previously. It is also a field where solving mysteries using physical clues is crucial, and I think that’s pretty rad.
Archaeologists study our human prehistory and history stretching back beyond 3 million years, pieced together using materials and clues left in the land.
The Projects
Browse the participating projects
Feeding the Gods: What Plants Were the Maya Growing in the City Center of La Milpa, Belize?
We know that at La Milpa, the Maya built agricultural terraces. We don't know what they were growing there...
People of the Swamp: LiDAR and "Invisible" Structures at El Pilar
Aerial LiDAR surveys have been popular tools for mapping ancient Maya settlements through the dense rainforest...
Mapping and dating one of the most important early human settlements in eastern North America
With geophysical techniques, we will search for Paleo-Indian archaeological features around the famed Bull...
Islands and Resilience: A Maya City After “Collapse”
This project aims to map and analyze settlement patterns at Topoxte, an archaeological site which outlived...
Can experimental stone tool-making help us understand how our ancestors shaped their world?
Humans are the only known species that shape tools from stone. I study the evolution of stone tool-making...
How do humans cooperate in large-scale game drives? Documenting wild vicuña drives in the Andes
Large-scale communal game drives among humans have never been scientifically documented in action. This...
More About This Challenge
The sciency details
Challenge Aims
The field of archaeology reconstructs our understanding of the past through the careful excavation and analysis of artifacts left behind. Researchers survey or map the land and structures, excavate what may be hidden in the earth, and describe their findings through methods of classification, dating, and composition analysis. Much of history pre-dates writing, and much of the material represents lifestyles and societies that would otherwise go unrecorded and unknown.
We invite researchers working in archaeology to submit Experiment projects and join our upcoming grant challenge. Any aspect of the field is welcome! If you'd like to chat more about your idea, please get in touch. You can begin a page by clicking the button below.
A few examples of past successful archaeology projects:
Archaeology & Drones: Mapping Neolithic Structures in the Black Desert, Jordan
Did our ancestors use wooden spears as hand-thrown hunting weapons?
Colonial Period Archaeology in Northwestern Belize
Of Monks and Men: How medieval construction brought monasteries and lay communities together
Where are the Spanish Colonial Jesuit Missions at Guevavi?
Did the Pima Indians design arrow points specifically to penetrate Apache rawhide shields?
Project Eligilibity
Any archaeology project is invited to participate. Please get in touch if you aren't sure about your idea, by emailing us at support@experiment.com. Interdisciplinary projects are more than welcome! Researchers must be based out of institutions or organizations in the US, UK, Australia, or Canada, though field work can occur anywhere.
Challenge Grants
Experiment is an online community for making science go faster. Create a research project, get funding, and share your discovery with the world.
Browse Challenge Grants