ELi5 : Why does it seem a lot of archeology began so recently in the 20th and 19th centuries? Why weren’t we digging up stuff much earlier?

Question

It seems many of the most important archeological findings were in the 20th and 19th century. Why did humans wait so long to start digging stuff up?

In: 961

Answer 1

Depends on what you mean by archaeology. Sweden has had a National Heritage Board since 1630. The first couple of centuries were primarily concerned with registering monuments, transcribing runestones and acquiring stray finds that farmers had dug up by accident. There wasn’t a lot of excavations (that began in the early 19th century), but it was a form of archaeological work that was being done.

My favorite example of early archaeology and heritage restorations is the Egyptian prince Khaemweset, the fourth son of Ramesses II. He excavated and restored numerous old monuments and tombs, including several Old Kingdom pyramids.