Archaeology of Europe

European archaeology is the study of the material culture left by past inhabitants of the European continent over a time range extending back at least one and a half million years. Our predecessors were as mixed ethnically as they were culturally and made their homes in Europe's diverse microregions and microclimatic zones. They left a rich legacy of material traces and it is from these that archaeologists can reconstruct the complex patterns of their lives. The study of European archaeology had its beginnings during the Renaissance, when the classical world was rediscovered. But it was not until the end of the nineteenth century, when improved methods of classification, excavation, and relative chronology emerged, that archaeology became an academic discipline. By the twentieth century, European archaeology's major tenets had been established as had conflicting schools of archaeological thought. When the Iron Curtain fell in 1989, European archaeology experienced a new rupture. Terrain that was once impenetrable and colleagues and research that for decades had been unreachable suddenly became available. This exchange has both incited rich dialogue and stirred stimulating controversy. Spectacular recent finds such as the Iceman from the Italian Alps and technological advances such as the ability to analyze prehistoric DNA are revolutionizing archaeology revealing new insights into the past.

This article is divided into five parts, each of which outlines the major chronological and cultural shifts in European pre- and protohistory. Also included are major finds that have significantly altered or enriched knowledge of the past.