Editing Archaeological science (section)

{{short description|Application of scientific techniques to archaeology}}
{{Redirects here|Archaeometry|the journal|Archaeometry (journal)}}
'''Archaeological science''' consists of the application of [[scientific technique]]s to the analysis of archaeological materials and sites. It is related to [[Scientific methodology|methodologies]] of archaeology.  Martinón-Torres and Killick distinguish ‘scientific archaeology’ (as an epistemology) from ‘archaeological science’ (the application of specific techniques to archaeological materials).<ref>{{cite book|last1=Marcos Martinón-Torres and David Killick|title=Archaeological Theories and Archaeological Sciences in "The Oxford Handbook of Archaeological Theory"|publisher=Oxford University Press}}</ref> Martinón-Torres and Killick claim that ‘archaeological science’ has promoted the development of high-level  theory in archaeology. However, Smith rejects both concepts of archaeological science because neither emphasize falsification or a search for causality.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Smith|first1=Michael E.|title=Social science and archaeological enquiry|journal=Antiquity|date=4 April 2017|volume=91|issue=356|pages=520–528|doi=10.15184/aqy.2017.19|s2cid=151767590 }}</ref>

In the United Kingdom, the [[Natural Environment Research Council|Natural and Environmental Research Council]] provides funding for archaeometry separate from the funding provided for archaeology.<ref>
{{Cite book
 | last1 = Killick | first1 = D
 | last2 = Young | first2 = SMM
 | year = 1997
 | title = Archaeology and Archaeometry: From Casual Dating to a Meaningful Relationship?
 | publisher = Antiquity
}}</ref>