Archaeology

Archaeology is the study of ancient human cultures and ecological systems, conducted through the excavation of artifacts and fossils. These are the guys who go around digging up dinosaurs and mummies and whatnot. One who studies archaeology is an archaeologist, though you can't just go calling yourself this for the hell of it. You've got to go to school and get a trunk-load of degrees and stuff. Since the sum total of human history is pretty friggin' long, many archaeologists narrow their scope to a particular field of study. Some research prehistoric fossil records, others poke around inside the pyramids of Egypt, and some like to go dusting off ye old religious artifacts, such as the Ark of the Covenant.