Also 6–9 archai-. [ad. Gr. ἀρχαιολογία, f. ἀρχαῖο-ς (see ARCHÆO-) + -λογία discourse: see -LOGY.]

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  1.  Ancient history generally; systematic description or study of antiquities.

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1607.  Bp. Hall, Holy Observ. (1879), 196. Sozomen … [wrote] all the archaiology of the Jewes till Sauls gouernment.

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1669.  Gale, Crt. Gentiles, I. III. vi. 69. The Grecians were ignorant of the account of true Archeologie or Antiquitie.

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1731.  Bailey, Archialogy.

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1803.  Archæologia, XIV. 211. The contents of the Archaiology of Wales are derived from … old manuscripts.

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1869.  Lecky, Europ. Morals, I. iii. 481. The Decian persecution is remarkable in Christian archæology.

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  2.  spec. The scientific study of the remains and monuments of the prehistoric period.

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1837.  Whewell, Hist. Induct. Sc., XVIII. v. § 1. Theoretical geology … has a strong resemblance … to philosophical archæology.

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1851.  D. Wilson, Preh. Ann. (1863), I. i. 27. The closing epoch of geology is that in which archæology has its beginning.

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1871.  Tylor, Prim. Culture, I. 38. Archæology displays old structures and buried relics of the remote past.

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