If You Dig Archeology, You Might Love These 50 Fascinating Finds From Around The World

Archeology is about so much more than just digging up and dusting off ancient ruins and relics. According to Oxford University, it plays a part in building the future we want to see.

Archeological discoveries, big and small, give us the tools to "examine and explain human behaviour, understand how society functions, learn from the past and apply those lessons to the present, and analyse the drivers and implications of a changing world and how different countries, places and cultures interact," explains the university's site.

Shadreck Chirikure is a Professor of Archaeological Science. He believes that studying the past, through what people leave behind, can offer insights into some of the world’s biggest challenges – like hunger, health, and protecting the environment. Chirikure says archeology doesn't get the credit it deserves.

The expert adds that the key to getting the most out of archeological discoveries is to look at what they tell us about the different options we have at our disposal in today's world. How can we modify old concepts to suit our changing circumstances?

"For example, of the many 'gifts' that the Romans gave to the world, concrete is one of the most studied materials. It has the potential to reduce greenhouse gases known to cause global warming and climate extremes," writes Chirikure.

He adds that research proves this to be true. One study in design and engineering found that adapting Roman techniques can improve modern concrete formulations, making them durable and environmentally friendly.

Other experts agree. To study archeology is to ‘travel’ through the full spectrum of human diversity, says archeologist Dr. Letty ten Harkel.

"Anyone who has studied archeology will understand that celebrating our differences and embracing diversity will make the world a better place," she writes, adding that this is especially important in today's society with all its tensions and discrimination.

Through her "Medieval Migrants of the North Sea World" project, ten Harkel set out to prove that people have been moving around and interacting with those from different cultural and religious backgrounds since the medieval period. The expert believes the modern world can take a leaf out of the ancient books.

"Even in currently prosperous and peaceful regions like western Europe, the arrival of refugees and migrants from other cultural and religious backgrounds causes significant unease among factions of the population as they are regarded as alien and ultimately ‘dangerous’ to established lifeways," says ten Harkel.

Chirikure also makes mention of migration in an article he wrote for The Conversation. The professor says that archeology shows us the different ways human societies have organized themselves in the past.

"For example, discoveries of evidence showing the migrations of different groups of people in Africa show the limitations imposed by the national borders created by colonial powers. Before European colonialism, African peoples were connected in different ways," he reveals. "Archeology presents this African heritage and offers social cohesion as an alternative to xenophobia."

So before you brush off the next big find as “history,” remember that it plays a huge part in our future too!