21st October 2006, 05:18 PM
It could be said that 'history' puts the present situation in context, whilst archaeology often provides a bedrock for history. Simplistically, if we were to call this 'day one' and all start afresh on a deserted island then we wouldn't need archaeology. Not until we realised that it could tell us where people hadn't survived on that island, what crops had been grown there, how they had built shelter, what they had eaten... all specifically useful data to ensure our survival beyond day one. We would need it more than music and painting - but less than fresh water. History would be more useful in that context - but the island being deserted and bereft of records puts the mockers on that.