Difference Between Archaeologist and Historian

Difference Between Archaeologist and Historian

The difference between historians and archaeologists is that historians do a great amount of research and documentation of written records, etc.. In contrast, archaeologists use excavations or new-age virtual archaeology to study.

An archaeologist conducts fieldwork and works as a research assistant or technician, whereas historians typically find employment in universities, colleges, museums, etc. Let us take a look at a few important difference between Archaeologist and Historian in the table given below.

Historian vs Archaeologist

Difference Between Archaeologist and Historian
Historians	Archaeologists
Historians are usually subject experts on past events and their causes. They specialize in a specific geographical region, a particular historical era, or even a social phenomenon, for instance, political history, medieval history, economic history, etc.	Archaeologists carry out a scientific study of the physical remains of past human life and activities. These include artefacts, stone tools, machines, tombs, etc. They describe, analyze, and classify such material remains and place them in historical contexts.
Historians study History—by analyzing past events and explaining their causes based on critically examining source materials.	Archaeologists study Archaeology which examines human activities during prehistory through excavation, recovery, and analysis of material artefacts, environment, etc.
History originates from the Greek word ‘Historia,’ which means knowledge or inquiry obtained by investigation.	Archaeology originates from the Greek word ‘Archaia,’ which means ancient things, and ‘Logos,’ meaning theory or science.
Historians perform a great deal of research for which they may also need to travel or visit archives, libraries and artefacts to confirm the authenticity of the historical data. Furthermore, they need to analyze, interpret, write and preserve historical data with other historical documents to record the historical development of empires, countries, cities, or tribes.	Archaeologists study past human activities by dating, excavating, and interpreting sites of historical interest. Furthermore, after recovering objects from sites, they analyze singular artefacts by washing, sorting, cataloging, storing, and placing them into groups to analyze patterns and historical contexts.
Information sources include Archives, Libraries, Artifacts, Written records like diaries, letters, interviews, Oral histories, Photographs, Newspaper articles, Government documents, and Literature like poems, novels, plays, music, etc.	Information sources include Cave paintings, old coins, fossils, clay and metal utensils, pottery, jewellery, furniture, and anything from simple tools to complex machines, buried houses, temples, tombs, palaces, cathedrals, pyramids, underground cities, etc.
Sub-fields include Social History, Economic History, Environmental History, Art History, Cultural History, Military History, History of Religion, History of Geographical locations, etc.	Sub-fields include Zooarchaeology, Paleobotany, and Archaeopedology. Archaeometry. Geoarchaeology, Ethnoarchaeology, Historical Archaeology, Underwater Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Forensic Archaeology, Experimental Archaeology, etc.
The Indian Council of Historical Research is attached to the Ministry of Education and provides financial assistance to historians and scholars through fellowships, grants, etc.	The Archaeological Survey of India is attached to the Ministry of Culture, carries out archaeological research and conserves, and preserves cultural-historical monuments of the country.

Archaeologist and Historian

Both historians and archaeologists gather evidence of past human existence to analyze human activities and social culture patterns and place them into historical contexts. Both professions reveal the past but through different study methods.

• A historian studies objects, situations, and things that have to do with humanity. The study of the past through physical events, such as artefacts and other materials, is known as archaeology.
• The duties and responsibilities of the historian include investigating, evaluating, and providing logical knowledge to state historical facts and statistics.
• An archaeologist’s responsibility is to work in certain locations where he can gather physical evidence of the past and the artefacts that our ancestors used.

Here, we have provided the difference between historians and archaeologists and details about them.

What is an Archaeologist?

An archaeologist investigates the past using physical evidence from earlier times. The discipline of archaeology involves the recovery and discovery of various artefacts. The word archaeology is derived from a Greek word that refers to the study of historical events.

• They use data from the societies of our ancestors to learn about their way of life through the tangible remnants of their culture.
• An archaeologist investigates societies, areas, ecosystems, and specific historical periods to understand more.
• He obtained a lot of data by examining physical remains such as human bone fragments, monuments, building ruins, and artefact remnants like jewellery, pots, weapons, coins, and ceramics.

The role of archaeologists includes:

• Carrying out research.
• Visiting possible historical sites.
• Establishing excavations to look for signs of historic items.
• Cataloging discovered artefacts.
• Giving historical site information.

What is a Historian?

A historian is a person who uses past occurrences, episodes, and happenings to study history. Historians conceal all of the achievements, occasions, and relationships between individuals and their surroundings and climate throughout the span of human history.

• An authority and subject-matter expert in history is a historian.
• Historians gather their data from written accounts of historical occurrences and episodes.
• The study covers old or uncommon writings discovered on papers, stones, dried animal leaves, and leaves.
• They can also use printed materials like newspapers, paintings, etc., to gather knowledge.
• These written and recorded materials help them gather a lot of data.

The role of historians includes:

• Examining historical records.
• Locating additional pertinent records or data.
• Ensuring the accuracy of the information.
• Identifying a building’s historic importance.
• Providing information about historical data.
• Educating the public about historical sites or organizations.

Conclusion:

Key Difference Between Archaeologist and Historian

The key difference between Archaeologist and Historian is that Archaeologists use the remains of tangible objects, the designs of their homes, the destruction of buildings, and samples of items like weapons, coins, jewellery, and pots, among other things, to study historical events. In contrast, a historian gathers knowledge using various time-dependent sources, including print media, handwritten notes, on leaves and stones.

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