[MUSIC] JOAN CARTAN-HANSEN, HOST: Archaeologists could be described as detectives who attempt to reconstruct the past.
Let's find out how archaeologists study U.S. history.
Jamestown became the first permanent English settlement in North America in 1607.
In the first years, residents struggled and nearly died out because of starvation and disease.
By 1699, Jamestown was no longer a town, but remains an important historical site.
Archaeologists today study how those first settlers lived and died; as well as the histories of the ancient peoples who lived in the area.
And NASA is providing specialized equipment to help scan and protect artifacts.
Archaeologists studying the Civil War use some high-tech gear too.
Scientists at the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park are using ground-penetrating radar to find possible human remains.
The science of archaeology plays an important role in helping us understand history.
For more information about archaeology, check out the Science Trek website.
You'll find it at Sciencetrek.org