An archaeologist must know the different between an artifact and a fossil.
Fossils are the remains of living things (plants, animals, people), not of things that were made.
Artifacts are the remains of things that were made, not the remains of living things.
Can you tell the difference between
an artifact and a fossil?
Let's find out!
1. While planting my garden, I found an old bone. Did I find a fossil or an artifact?
2. While exploring the woods near my house, I found an arrowhead. Did I find a fossil or an artifact?
The answer is:
1. A fossil. A bone is the remains of something that was once living.
2. An artifact. An arrowhead is something that was made.