The Importance Of Archaeology In History

Many may ask why we need to know the past. Carl Sagan tells us that “You have to know the past to understand the present.” In history, there are two kinds of sources: primary and secondary. Historians have to analyze both sources to conclude their argument or statement. One of the reliable non-documentary sources is archaeology. Archaeology played an important role in constructing the history of the Pacific. Primary, non-documentary sources like archaeology, which include pottery, clothing, and human remains, are very important because they give a unique idea about the culture and human history in the Pacific region. However, archeological sources have limitations, because scholars are not given a complete picture, which can lead to misinterpretation and confusion regarding the cultures of the region.

Archaeology can tell us many things about

Archaeology helps scholars to understand more about the native people who lived there and how they lived; this non-documentary source includes human remains and objects like pottery and clothes that tell us about the lives of people who lived before us. Because we are looking thousands of years into the past, we are less likely to have written documents. Through archaeology, we were able to find the ancestors of Oceania. Lapita pottery was found in Tonga and in many other small islands. This pottery told many stories of people who were in the Pacific region. Lapita pottery has designs and abstract art cravings on them. Even though each pot varies in design, each design has a different meaning, which was consistent, and each pot tell us a story. The same pottery designs can also be found in tattoos and designs on their clothes. Tattooing was a tradition in the Pacific world. The designs have hidden meaning. Historians can interpret the meaning by comparing other resources and knowledge they have. Archaeology also shows us how cultures change. For example, about a