* Artifacts: These are objects that have been made or modified by humans. Artifacts can include tools, weapons, pottery, jewelry, and coins.
* Features: These are non-portable remains of human activity. Features can include hearths, pits, walls, and buildings.
* Ecofacts: These are environmental remains that can provide information about past human activity. Ecofacts can include pollen, seeds, bones, and shells.
* Human remains: In some cases, archaeologists may also find human remains. These remains can provide information about the physical characteristics, diet, and health of past populations.
The specific types of artifacts, features, ecofacts, and human remains that archaeologists find will vary depending on the time period and region of their excavation. For example, an archaeologist excavating a site from the Roman Empire might find artifacts such as pottery, coins, and jewelry. An archaeologist excavating a site from the縄文時代(縄文時代)in Japan might find artifacts such as stone tools, pottery, and figurines.
Archaeologists use the artifacts, features, ecofacts, and human remains that they find to reconstruct past human behavior and lifeways. They study the distribution of artifacts across a site to learn about how people used the space. They analyze the contents of features to learn about what activities were taking place. They study the pollen and seeds found in ecofacts to learn about the environment in which people lived. And they study the human remains that they find to learn about the physical characteristics, diet, and health of past populations.
By studying the material remains of past human activity, archaeologists can gain a glimpse into the lives of our ancestors and learn about the development of human society.