ABSTRACT
Through archaeology, the realities of the past exceed the imagination of the present. Archaeology is a growing and exciting science, encompassing a wide range of specialties and subdisciplines, whose objective is to foster an understanding of the global human experience over the span of human existence. Archaeologists rely heavily on biological anthropology. The basic and primary purpose of archaeology is to help us understand humans. The archaeology of historical times is important even when historical records exist. Archaeology is really about people and how they integrate material culture into their lives. Archaeology that has to do with anything related to the marine environment can be considered maritime archaeology, regardless of its age or geographic location. For example, in North America, the archaeology of the late entrants of the continent, including the Chinese, Dutch, English, French, Norse, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and later the Anglo-Americans, is considered to be historical archaeology.
