Observation and Inference
Science is based on observation and inference. Anything being studied must first be observed. An inference is a proposed reason for an observation. The hypothesis is a chosen inference that the scientist will prove or disprove through testing. Archaeologists use observations and inference to learn the story of past people. By making observations about objects (artifacts and sites) they infer the behavior of the people who used the objects. When archaeologists find the remains of a large village (observations), they could infer that the people were farmers. To test that inference (hypothesis), they would look for evidence of farming such as farming implements (like hoes), and food remains from crops (corn cobs and squash seeds). If they find these things, their hypothesis is verified. Archaeologists construct careful hypotheses and examine alternatives when making inferences from archaeological data.
