Any archaeology lovers here?

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I discovered a British television show of about 20 seasons, showing various archaeology investigations. It's called Time Team and I am binge-watching it. I've always enjoyed reading about archaeology.

Anybody share this interest?

I took a course in Field Archeology during college. It was a good course. Except for the snakes. I almost got bitten by a 6 foot long rattle snake. That would have been a bummer but fortunately I learned an important lesson that day. If you encounter a rattle snake, the most important thing is to not move, to stay perfectly still. Rattle snakes key off of motion. If you don't move they can't tell a person from a tree. Then after several minutes, they will just slither away.

I love to read news on archeology, tracking ancient migrations is my favorite part of it, but I wouldn't say I have much coherent knowledge on the topic.
Genetic studies gave new amazing new tools to archeology as we can investigate blood relations of ancient people among themselves and to their living descendants.

Yes, another relatively new technology is the ground-penetrating radar and similar geophysical tools, that indicate what lies beneath the soil surface, showing people where to start a dig.

The other cool thing about Time Team is that they work almost entirely in the UK (with one or two exceptions). I'm fairly convinced that you could dig almost anywhere there and find cool stuff, unlike the USA.

I would love to dig in the soil and find pottery, coins, old jewelry, pottery, etc. but I don't really desire to emulate the diggers who work with skeletons, even though that can tell us a lot. I keep thinking "for God's sake, put on gloves!" as I watch them playing with human remains.

Some things hold a special interest for me. One is the subject of giants. Over a period of several hundred, farmers and other individuals found very intricate mounds in the U.S. Many of these mounds contained a structure within which was the remains of a giant. Apparently giants and Indians coexisted in the U.S. Eventually almost all these remains were collected by the Smithsonian Institute. Then one day all this material was destroyed. This occurred decades ago. WHY? I have no idea. Recently the Smithsonian Institute admitted to this serious breach. Some one theorized that the battle of evolution theory was recently won and that giants would throw a monkey wrench into the whole theory of evolution, so this contrary evidence was simply eliminated.

Some of these giants were so large that they could wrestle buffalo to the ground. These giants were solitary. They did not form societies but peacefully coexisted with the Indian tribes. Anyways this is very fascinating. Just think of how much information could be extracted using today's technology about the world of giants.

Some of these mount tomb structures were so old and so well sealed that once the shell was penetrated, the contents immediately turned to dust.

Anyways I find the subject fascinating.

Someday when I find the time there is a book that is on my to-do list for reading. It is titled "The Giants Who Ruled America" by Richard Dewhurst. And another book titled "Giants On Record" with a forward by Ross Hamilton.

I like when the archaeological finds support and are supported by history. I am learning more about British history. Basically the eras you find on these digs can include, in order: Stone Age (with several sub-periods), Bronze Age, Iron Age, Roman Occupation, Viking invasion, Medieval (sometimes divided into Dark Ages and Middle Ages) and more recent. I find the Industrial Age excavations less interesting than the older ones.

Obviously, these distinctions are quite different in North America, and other areas such as Africa.

I majored in Anthrolopology ( which encompasses archaeology in the US).

Still love documentaries about archealogy, history, prehistory etc..

I took a special course taught jointly by the history and anthro depts. about "history and archeology of Medeaval Britain".

Yes, I'm fascinated by archaeology and, back in the days when I had a TV, used to regularly watch Time Team. The guys who do the geo-physical surveys on the show are/were from the archaeology department of the local university in Bradford, and I've known a few of their students over the years who've invited me along as a volunteer gopher on digs (I'm far too clumsy to dare ruining anything by doing anything other than being a gopher!)

One of my current 'special interest' projects is tracing the route of 'lost' Roman roads in the UK, which can sometimes be revealed by crop-marks on the 'satellite' views of internet maps and in LIDAR height data that the government have released publicly - it's astonishing how much new technology has been able to reveal. I'm lucky enough to live in an area which is rich in archaeological sites, particularly pre-historic "cup and ring" stone carvings, small stone circles, cave shelters, and burial barrows up on the high moors. Whenever I can, I include them in my countryside rambles.