Applied archeology studies ancient technologies related to architecture and agriculture to improve the quality of life in impoverished societies. Ancient cultures built durable housing, grew crops, and constructed structures for water transportation and sewage containment. Applied archeology seeks to exploit these techniques to use them in the present, such as crop rotation and water filtration systems. Historians are attempting to recreate ancient sewage systems to help modern peoples control waste-borne diseases.
Archeology is the excavation and study of human behavior, societies and culture. Fields of archaeological study begin with prehistoric man and extend through every period of history. Applied archeology occurs when information gleaned from a particular excavation site could be used to help modern society. Those who practice applied archeology most often study ancient technologies related to architecture and agriculture. Many of these practices are applied to impoverished societies that need simple and inexpensive technologies to improve their quality of life.
Ancient societies typically only had access to local hand tools and resources. Yet archaeologists have found that many of these cultures were able to build durable housing, grow thriving crops, and construct structures for water transportation and sewage containment. Societies in third world countries often face a lack of shelter, no viable agricultural land and are riddled with diseases caused by standing water. Through applied archeology, historians can help recreate the techniques used by the ancients and teach them to those living in modern developing countries.
Most of the architectural techniques that lasted millennia required the ancients decades and thousands of workers to build. Therefore, those who practice applied archeology are typically more interested in the structures in which ordinary people lived. Houses made of mud, lathe, and wood were common, as were homes made of earth bricks or dug into mountainsides. Some of these simpler techniques can be taught to those living in modern poverty-stricken areas to help them create secluded, clean, and safe housing from local resources.
One of the most important areas of applied archeology is agriculture. Learning how ancient cultures grew and irrigated their crops in harsh landscapes can help poor areas develop a higher standard of living. Historical study has shown that raised fields, or areas of farmland built on top of marshy or barren land, could be a boon for those living in fairly arid landscapes.
There is also evidence to suggest that ancient cultures knew about crop rotation and developed the technology to irrigate fields. Applied archeology seeks to exploit these techniques, often taken from an area’s past, to use them in its present. For example, those who live in the hot African landscape can benefit greatly from knowing how their ancestors thrived in the same land. Archaeologists can learn how it was done and help natives apply that lost knowledge to their current lifestyles.
Ancient societies often understood the need for clean water and protection from sewage and human waste. To that end, they created simple yet effective water filtration systems made from sand, charcoal, mud, and leaves. These same types of water filters have been recreated and are in use in some developing areas today. Historians are also attempting to recreate ancient sewage systems to help modern peoples control waste-borne diseases. Many villages had simple sheds, trenches, and other systems for separating waste and disease.
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