Archaeological excavations

Excavation is the traditional approach of archaeology and involves the exposing, processing and recording of archaeological monuments in order to research the everyday life of ancient civilisations.

During an archaeological excavation, trained archaeologists extensively remove the soil above the so-called cultural layers to expose them for documentation. They catalog and document the archaeological remains (building structures, objects, etc.), record them topographically and capture them with descriptions, drawings and photographs. They also take samples for dating and scientific analysis.

Once an archaeological excavation has been completed as part of preventive archaeology, the archaeological site is often destroyed through construction work for a development project. All that remains is the documentation of the structures (pits, walls, etc.), which must therefore be as precise as possible, and the finds (pottery, coins, jewelry, tools, etc.). The archaeological objects are then restored and, in some cases, handed over to specialists for more precise analysis. The results of an excavation must be processed and published as soon as possible (lectures, publications, etc.). However, the scientific investigation - the identification and description of structures and objects - sometimes takes just as long as the excavation itself.