By Paola Velasco
World Archeology Day was celebrated in the month of July, and it is the perfect time to recognize the value of archeology in society. Understanding our past, and knowing the evolution of the different civilizations, reveals our identity as human beings. It allows us to recognize and value similarities and differences that enrich us.
This is precisely one of the contributions of archeology that, as the prominent Mexican researcher Eduardo Matos Moctezuma would say, «Is like a modern time machine that allows us to bring the dead to life.» Archaeologists patiently delve into each layer of time, to interpret the lives of our ancestors by showing us our origins, and thus revealing our nature.
Beginnings of Archeology
Brian Fagan wrote «A Little History of Archaeology,» in which he entertainingly recounts the stories of archeology’s great discoveries, and how they impacted beliefs about the development of mankind. Fagan places the origins of archeology at the beginning of the 18th century, with the fortuitous discovery of Roman remains buried under ashes. It was the city of Herculaneum, near Pompeii, which was devastated by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in the year 79 of our common era. In 1709, a peasant was digging a well and found some marble sculptures. The news reached a prince, who sent workers to the area, and they unearthed three ancient statues in excellent condition. The discovery sparked interest in the search for hidden treasures, giving rise to the emergence of this new discipline.
Fagan describes how curiosity piqued among wealthy European landowners and travelers. Those with a taste for classical art wanted to find more works by the Romans and Greeks and then show off those relics. But it took many years before archeology became the detailed, rigorous, and scientific study of ruins and the remains of ancient civilizations. During the initial century, adventurers and treasure hunters made fabulous discoveries, but did not follow proper digging procedures or classification of artifacts.
One of the pioneers in describing and cataloging findings was Johann Joachim Winckelmann (1717-1768), a German art historian. He realized that objects discovered in excavations were valuable sources of information about the daily life and social milieu of the people in a particular era. At the time, this was a revolutionary idea. After all, most people based their knowledge of the past on the narratives of the Bible.
Large-scale archaeological excavations began in the mid-1800s with French archeologist Paul Emile Botta, and the English politician and amateur archeologist Austen Henry Layard. Layard discovered the biblical city of Nineveh, while Botta uncovered the palace of the Assyrian king Sargon II; both findings were in what is now Iraq. Other amateur explorers continued excavations and discoveries, and found vestiges of several of the world’s ancient civilizations. But it was not until the end of the 19th century that professional archaeologists appeared on the scene.
No discovery had a more far-reaching effect than that of the tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun. This was accomplished in 1922 by Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter, and the event reverberated and fascinated the entire world. In Fagan’s book there is recounting of other archeological findings, nearer to us, such as the discovery of the Mayan culture in America in 1840. This was done by John Lloyd Stephens and Frederick Catherwood, who revealed in their work in print, “Incidents of Travel to Central America, Chiapas, and Yucatán.” There is an entire chapter in Fagan’s text about the studies that have been carried out for almost a century in Teotihuacán, the «city of the gods.» Recent discoveries at the site are a tunnel and several chambers full of objects. These provide new, and valuable information about the importance of this settlement and its culture, which preceded Mexico.
Modern archaeologists rely on the latest technological advances such as remote sensing, using lasers, satellite imagery, and ground-penetrating radar to find potential sites and carefully plan their excavations. But why is archeology important? Fagan points out that it is the only reliable way we have to study the changes in human societies, through the millennia. One of the examples is how our perceptions changed once we gave up biblical accounting of ancient history, and instead began to rely on archeological findings. For centuries, because of widespread religious beliefs, it was assumed that humans had only been on earth for 6,000 years. We now know that the relevant time scale for our species is three million years—sedentary civilization only began a little over 10,000 years ago.
Above all, archeology defines us as human beings. It reveals our common ancestry in Africa and highlights our similarities and differences. Studying different people and societies, separated geographically and by time, shows us our amazing diversity and helps us understand the depths of human nature.
Archaeological Heritage in Mexico
According to the network of Archaeological Zones of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), there are 191 archaeological zones open to the public throughout the country. They are part of the cultural heritage of Mexico, and the states of Quintana Roo, Campeche, and Yucatán are the ones with the largest number of sites. The list of the most visited areas are as follows:
1. Teotihuacan, State of Mexico
2. Palenque and Yaxchilan, Chiapas
3. Bonampak, Chiapas
4. Tonina, Chiapas
5. Archaeological zone of Tulum, Quintana Roo
6. Coba, Quintana Roo
7. Chichen Itza, Yucatan
8. Calakmul, Campeche
9. Comalcalco, Tabasco
10. Tajin, Veracruz
How about you? How many of these archaeological sites in Mexico have you visited?
References: Mexican Archaeology, INAH.gob
