What's Underneath? Why Archaeologists study what's already been discovered

During a late breakfast with my fiance today he asked me a question that's been lingering in my mind all day long. At least until 1:00 am when I started writing this.

Archaeologists go to school for years, pick a topic like the pyramids or Greek architecture, and then focus their studies on those structures that have been studied and researched so many times before.

I'm not saying that all archaeologists follow this path, but what I am saying is that many don't take chances, therefore they hide behind a desk reading about another persons discovery and say to themselves, 'I want to do that too".

So when do you start to think about what actually exists beneath the structures that have already been discovered? When do you start asking questions about what was there before and how can you find that information out?

Of course, as everyone already knows, I am in the beginning stages of my life in Archaeology. However, I think what made me a bit concerned about my direction was when I told my fiance that there was nothing interesting to study here in Florida. I though my attitude was a bit short-sided and I had to check myself for a moment.

Then I started to think about the surrounding areas and the parks that I often visit with my dogs when I go hiking. I started to dig deeper and what I found was truly astounding. I found no records or information about a certain natural springs park I visit quite often and I wondered what was there before.

Isn't it a fact that early civilizations made their homes near fresh water, mainly for trade purposes, transportation routes, and of course food? So if this spring had been running for hundreds of years, why was there so little information about it?

Once I get to the bottom of my discovery, I will surely share it with all of you.

The moral of this rant, so to speak, is that you have to take the structures you see everyday and start asking questions. What was there before?

The most interesting aspect about Archaeology is new discoveries, so if you're not getting dirty, your not working hard enough to uncover the secrets left all over the world.

Here are some areas that need some more attention.

Bosnian Pyramids

Were they the first and are they larger than the Egyptian pyramids?

Amerigo Vespucci

Who really discovered the New World?

Woolly Mammoth

Cold climate animals or did they originally live in warmer areas of the world?