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Archaeological dig sites found from construction sites

Archaeology is by far one of the most interesting fields of science. It deals with the past civilizations which hold a tremendous attraction for us. It has been likened to historical detective work where one can piece together past lives and events using only the remains that can be dug up from the ground. It is not surprising therefore that it has even attracted the interest of even ordinary people and not just the scientists. They have turned to it as the most fulfilling sort of hobby that one can engage in.

The irony though is that some of the most important archaeological discoveries of all time were not uncovered on purpose. Of course there were expeditions that set out to uncover the secrets of ancient civilizations, but sometimes the discoveries were made by accident. There are numerous cases when ancient artefacts and monuments were uncovered by construction workers digging in order to build something new. What they uncover instead is a link to the past.

It is easy to understand why construction work could uncover so many archaeological find; the workers would have to dig in order to lay the foundations of a new structure. They would come across some objects and stones that would have been part of an ancient complex.

There is a problem with such discoveries though. Since the workers are not counting on finding anything, they might be careless in the way that they dig and that could damage artefacts.  Who knows how many archaeological treasures have been damaged this way? Another concern is that since they are not trained in the right way for digging artefacts then it could result in damage that could be irreparable. Then there is also the problem of looting, especially when the workers know that artefacts could be valuable.

As we have mentioned there are so many sites that have been uncovered by construction projects. One of the most recent examples is the site of an ancient Hindu temple that was uncovered in the island of Bali in Indonesia. It is said that the temple could go back to the 13^th or 15^th Century.

One of the most famous archaeological discoveries to have been unearthed by accident is the ancient Terracotta Army in China. It was unearthed by farmers who were trying to construct a well on the site. Aside from the army of figures, an entire necropolis was also uncovered on the site.

Archeologists: are they a relic from a past era?

Archaeology had its heyday in the late 19^th and the early 20^th Century. The field was not even well defined or established back then. That was the period when many amazing places in different parts of the world were being discovered and investigated. Part of the popularity of the field was the hint of adventure and exploration that it gives to those who wanted to try it out.

The places of discovery were usually in exotic locations in distant parts of the world. Getting there is not the easiest thing. The work of exploration itself was  also a gruelling task that could pose a major problem to even the most able bodied person. There was also the lure of mystery and knowledge that would have been difficult for anyone to resist.

It is not surprising therefore that archaeological discoveries back then, were greeted with a lot more fanfare than today. People were drawn to it. Here are some of the more important archaeological discoveries of that period:

Troy- The location of the ancient city of Troy, which was recorded in the ancient Greek epic, has been lost to modern man until the adventurer and archaeological pioneer   Heinrich Schliemann set out to find it. He made some mistakes along the way but his main discovery was correct.

Angkor Wat- This ancient temple city of the Khmer empire is one of the largest religious complexes in the world. It is now one of Cambodia’s jewels.

Tutankhamen’s Tomb-  The tale of the discovery of this pharaoh’s tomb could have been a plot for an Indiana Jones’ movie. The discovery also fuelled a craze for things connected with Egypt at that time which made its influence felt on most of the Western world.

These are just some of the amazing archaeological discoveries that made the whole world a captive audience. The problem is that now, some people feel that there are no longer discoveries as interesting as those to be made. These people believe that the archaeologists who look for relics from the past have become obsolete themselves, is it time to call the removalists on archaeologists?

That kind of thinking couldn’t be more wrong though. Archaeology is here to stay and it will never become completely obsolete. Sure, there would be few discoveries as astonishing as Tutankhamen’s Tomb, but there are other equally interesting finds out there waiting for the right person to uncover them.

If you feel that this is your field then go ahead and try it out.

Recent archaeological dig sites

Archaeological digs are funded and carried out by different institutions. Mostly, these are schools, some are scientific societies, there are government agencies taxed with researching the field and sometimes there are individuals who have enough fund to carry out their own digs. Sometimes it would last for several months and even years, but there have been times when it was limited to a few days mostly because of some factor surrounding the area.

Recent Archaeological Digs- There is little doubt as to how exciting archaeology can be. It’s all about finding traces of ancient civilizations and how people lived. Life on the dig might not be so glamorous , as how it is portrayed in the movies. Archaeologists are not fighting villains and they are more likely to handle a trowel and brush than a whip like Indiana Jones. Despite that fact, archaeology is exciting just as we have mentioned but it can bring a different thrill.

That is exactly the kind of rush that researchers felt in the resort island of Bali in Indonesia just recently. Researchers found an ancient Hindu temple there that goes back to several centuries. The local researchers said that the initial dig uncovered a very large stone that was buried three feet underground. They recognized that the stone was the kind used for building large structures so they continued their excavation.

Further digging into the same area revealed a structure that is 57 meters long which is believed to be the foundation of an ancient Hindu temple. The pieces of artefacts and structure are still in the process of being analysed but experts are confident that it belongs to the period from 13^th to 15^th Century. This finding is very promising because its size indicates that it could probably the biggest Hindu temple to be uncovered yet in the vast Indonesian archipelago. The islands making up Indonesia today were heavily influenced by Hinduism from the Indian subcontinent.

That’s another discovery in Asia which is revealing some of the major archaeological finds in recent years. Not long ago it was discovered in India that another Hindu temple there contained a treasury that holds a wealth that was bigger than the reserves of most countries.

There would be very few archaeological discoveries that would be as massive as that to surprise the world, but you can bet that there are still plenty of sites around the globe that could be very interesting and could attract our curiosities just as well.