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Archaeology has long been an accepted tool for studying prehistoric cultures. Relatively recently the same techniques have been systematically applied to studies of the more immediate past. This has been called "historical archaeology," a term that is used in the United States to refer to any archaeological investigation into North American sites that postdate the arrival of Europeans.
Back in the 1930's and 1940's, when building restoration was popular, historical archaeology was primarily a tool of architectural reconstruction. The role of archaeologists was to find the foundations of historic buildings and then take a back seat to architects.
The mania for reconstruction had largely subsided by 1950's. Most people entering historical archaeology during this period came out of university anthropology departments., where they had studied prehistoric cultures. They were, by training, social scientists, not historians, and their work tended to reflect this bias. The questions they framed and the techniques they used were designed to help them understand, as scientists, how people behaved. But because they were treading on historical ground for which there was often extensive written documentation and because their own knowledge of these periods was usually limited, their contributions to American history remained circumscribed. Their reports, highly technical and sometimes poorly written, went unread.
More recently, professional archaeologists have taken over. These researchers have sought to demonstrate that their work can be a valuable tool not only of science but also of history, providing fresh insights into the daily lives of ordinary people whose existences might not otherwise be so well documented. This newer emphasis on archaeology as social history has shown great promise, and indeed work done in this area has lead to a reinterpretation of the United States past.
In Kingston, New York, for example, evidence has uncovered that indicates that English goods were being smuggled into that city at a time when the Dutch supposedly controlled trading in the area. And in Sacramento an excavation at site of a fashionable nineteenth-century hotel revealed that garbage had been stashed in the building's basement despite sanitation laws to the contrary. 重点单词：
archaeology : n. 考古学
accepted : a. 一般承认的,公认的
prehistoric : adj. 史前的；老式的
systematically : ad. 有系统地,有组织地,有条理地
applied : a. 应用的
refer : vt. 提交,谈及,归诸于,指点把...提交,使求助于;vi. 提到,涉及,查阅,查询,咨询
investigation : n. 调查,研究
postdate : vt. 填迟...的日期;n. 事后日期
restoration : n. 恢复,归还,复位
primarily : ad. 主要地,首先地,基本地
architectural : a. 建筑的,建筑学的,建筑术的
reconstruction : n. 复兴,改造,再建
foundation : n. 基础,根据,建立
architect : n. 建筑师,设计者,造物主
mania : n. 狂躁,热衷,狂热
subside : vi. 沉淀,沉降,平息
anthropology : n. 人类学
prehistoric : adj. 史前的；老式的
reflect : vt. 反射,反映,招致,想到,归咎,思考;vi. 反射,映出,思考,考虑,指责,怀疑
bias : n. 偏见,斜线;a. ad. 斜(的);vt. 使有偏见
frame : n. 框,结构,体格;vt. 构成,设计,制定,使适合,陷害;n. 帧,画面,框架
tread : n. 踏,步态,梯级,交尾,鞋底;vi. 踏,行走,交尾;vt. 踩,踏,践踏,跳
extensive : a. 广的,广泛的,多方面的
contribution : n. 捐助,捐助之物,贡献
circumscribe : vt. 在...周围画线,限制
poorly : ad. 贫穷地,不充分地,贫乏地;a. 身体不舒服的,心情恶劣的
unread : a. 没有人看的,没有读过书的,无学问的
demonstrate : vt. 示范,证明;vi. 示威
insight : n. 洞察力,见识
otherwise : ad. 否则,不同地,别的方式
emphasis : n. 强调,加强,重要,强语气
promise : n. 诺言,约定,希望;vt. 允诺,约定,预示;vi. 允诺,有前途,有指望
indeed : ad. 的确,实在,真正地,甚至
interpretation : n. 解释,演出,翻译
evidence : n. 证据,迹象
uncovered : a. 无遮盖的,未戴帽子的,未保险的
smuggle : vt. 偷运,走私,私运;vi. 走私
supposedly : adv. 想象上；大概
excavation : n. 挖掘,发掘,挖掘的洞
fashionable : a. 时髦的,上流社会的,流行的
reveal : vt. 露出,显示,透露,(神)启示,揭露,泄露;n. 窗侧,门侧
garbage : n. 垃圾,废物
stash : vt. 藏起来,隐藏起来;n. 隐藏处,隐藏物
basement : n. 地下室,墙脚
sanitation : 卫生；卫生设备(尤指排水设备)
contrary : a. 相反的,矛盾的,对立的;n. 相反,对立面;ad. 相反地
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