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A
sketch of an early excavation near Stonehenge
in 1805
Although
there have been a few accounts of people
digging holes to uncover information
(typically treasure) in Classical and Medieval
periods it was not until the 18th
to early 19th centuries that the
first serious excavations took place in
Britain.
Primarily an upper
class past time these excavations were part of
the growing antiquarian interest in the
distant past. They also aimed to uncover
objects of prestige to add to private
collections.
Several
gentlemen, amongst them Sir Richard Colt
Hoare, William Cunnington and Pitt Rivers,
understood the importance of detailed records
of their excavations. This
led to a greater understanding of the
significance of finds and the way in which
they were found. The study of Archaeology was
born.
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