The study of human history and prehistory through the excavation of sites and the analysis of artefacts and other physical remains' (http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/archaeology?view=uk).

The Greek term αρχαιολογία (arkhaiologia) is made from two different words: archaios which means ancient/old and logia meaning study/learning - thus archaeology literally means 'the studying/learning of ancient things'.

A sub-discipline of anthropology, which is 'the study of humankind' (http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/view/entry/m_en_gb0031230#m_en_gb0031230)

What exactly do archaeologists do and what is an archaeological excavation?

When I meet new people, small-talk typically moves toward an inevitable "what do you do for a living?" and some puzzled expressions when I try to offer a simple cocktail-party-friendly answer - the ideal length of which lies somewhere between an enigmatic brush-off and watching a person's eyes glaze over with lack of understanding or interest. The mention of Archaeology conjures up an impressive list of ideas - from the relatively accurate to the bizarre. Some people, perhaps as a result of Jurassic Park (or other similar films), seem to be stuck on the notion of Archaeology as a glorified dinosaur bone hunt. Others give the impression that they realize Lara Croft and Indiana Jones are fantastical and unrealistic examples of day-to-day Archaeology - that we can't possibly be out robbing tombs and fighting supernatural creatures on a Wednesday afternoon - but really aren't sure what the actual work entails.

Let’s try to set the record straight.

A real-world archaeological excavation or survey can take place pretty much anywhere - it can be right in the middle of a city, at a farmhouse, or in a remote area such as a cave, island, jungle, underwater (and yes, maybe in an ancient tomb) - but the process begins much earlier and not typically at the whim of billionaire hobbyists. It begins with a reason to undergo an excavation. Without unlimited resources, it's impractical to simply go to 'somewhere' and dig around to see if there's anything of importance. That said, there are times when semi-random digs are required if the site is in danger of being destroyed in the near future - which falls into the realm of 'Heritage Management' or 'Cultural Resource Management'  (http://www.archaeological.org/pdfs/education/Arch101.2.pdf). In either case, an official archaeological excavation plan is required, along with permission from the government where the excavation is to take place.

The next step in the pre-excavation process is a survey - the archaeologist needs to find specifically where to dig to avoid wasting time and resources. Finding a site can sometimes be attributed to different things - it could be because of some aerial photography showing a pattern on the ground, ground-penetrating radar finds, farmers digging up artefacts in their field whilst ploughing and even from tales, old stories and maps. Admittedly, surveying is sometimes seen as a tedious part of the process because it can involve hours and hours of uneventful field walking while searching for patterns of finds on the ground - which may be nothing more than broken pieces of pottery or glass. The patterns are mapped, and a detailed overall map is drawn before any actual digging begins.

The actual excavation is probably the part of the process people are most commonly aware of when they conjure up an image of what an archaeologist does (apart from those Wednesday afternoons battling supernatural threats and saving the world). Remains that were buried naturally over time - under layers of soil that come into existence through the growth, change, and destruction of a site - are literally unearthed. In this case, the Hollywood portrayal has occasionally been somewhat accurate. The artefacts are surrounded by multiple layers of different soil types called 'strata'. The recording of these layers - the strata - is called 'stratigraphy'. Excavating the site requires extreme caution, as the archaeologists must dig through layer after layer and record the findings therein while causing the least damage possible to the site and other potential finds. The site plan, which divides the site into marked squares, allows detailed coordinates to reference each new find.