Misconception – Paleontology and Archaeology are the Same Thing

Next Wednesday is the first day of the 73rd annual meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (SVP). In honor of that great event, and on the same theme as my other misconceptions posts, I’m writing this to correct one of two common misconceptions about paleontology.

Misconception – Paleontology and archaeology are the same thing

This is a misconception that annoys paleontologists and archaeologists alike.

You see, paleontology deals with fossils only. Archaeology deals with humans, and the evidence of past cultures.

MOTEL LOBBY - Evening

PENNY HIGGINS, postdoc, walks up to the registration desk.

MOTEL OWNER who has been intently staring at his computer screen
looks up.

                           MOTEL OWNER
Hello! How may I help you?
                           PENNY 
I have a reservation, I hope.
              (Hands OWNER confirmation documents)

                           MOTEL OWNER
              (Looks up reservation)
Yes. Two nights. What brings you to town?

                           PENNY 
Paleontology meeting. Starts bright and early tomorrow.

                           MOTEL OWNER 
You're a paleontologist? How wonderful!! I have been to Egypt three
times. Would you like to see the coins I found? Maybe you can tell 
me something about them!

                           PENNY
Sounds interesting. Never been there. I spend more time in 
Wyoming looking for dinosaurs than anything else.

                           MOTEL OWNER
Oh, yes. Yes.
               (Hands Penny keys)
I hope you enjoy your stay.

PENNY leaves. Once out of sight of the MOTEL OWNER, she waves her
fist at the heavens. 

                            PENNY
I'm not an archaeologist!

These kinds of mistakes I’ve come to accept. Archaeologists have to deal with the same problem in reverse:

“I’m an archaeologist.”

“You are? What’s your favorite dinosaur?”

DEPARTMENT LOUNGE - Lunchtime

PENNY HIGGINS, paleontology instructor, is eating her lunch.

GRADUATE STUDENT comes into the lounge and begins to eat as well.

                           STUDENT
What are your summer plans?
                           PENNY 
Same as everyone's. Fieldwork.

                           STUDENT
So do you carry around a bullwhip like Indiana Jones.

                           PENNY 
Indiana Jones in an archaeologist. I'm a paleontologist.
                           STUDENT 
Oh. Yeah.

The media doesn’t help us much when major characters from popular TV shows have it all wrong as well. Ross, from that show ‘Friends,’ was called a paleontologist throughout the series. Alas, every time you saw him doing ‘paleontology,’ he was actually doing archaeology or anthropology. No wonder there’s so much confusion.

                          RANDOM STRANGER
You're a paleontologist? Just like Ross on Friends?

                          PENNY
Um. No.

Archaeology and paleontology look superficially similar. They both involve digging specimens out of the earth for study. They both involve putting these specimens into collections at museums. And they both frequently involve working in remote and dangerous places.

However, they are very, very different. Paleontology is a subdiscipline of geology. Fossils come from rocks. To be a good paleontologist, one must have a strong background in geology, as well as a strong background in biology, since we are dealing with once-living organisms. Archaeology is a subdicipline of anthropology.  Its focus is on humans and human culture. Artifacts like coins and potsherds are important to archaeology, but not to paleontology (unless we discover that dinosaurs were making stone tools or something).

The only time paleontology and archaeology really overlap is when fossilized human remains are involved. The study of Lucy is as much paleontology as it is archaeology.The fossil came out of rocks that themselves provided information about the environment in which Lucy lived, but the fossils provide tons of information about the origins of human culture.

There’s also a little overlap where the fossilized remains of animals are studied (paleontology) but they came from archaeological sites and/or show signs of being utilized by humans in some way. I know I’ve worked with fossil bison form archaeological sites. My research was paleontological, but the specimens were kept in an archaeological collection.

Archaeologists and paleontologists know and understand where the confusion arises. We always laugh it off and explain the truth. Hopefully, though, this little post will help the few of you who read this blog understand better the distinction between archaeology and paleontology.