Publications and Bibliographies

If you have any comments or suggestions about these informational postings, or any questions on cataloging which you would like answered, please send them to the Subject and Bibliographic Access Committee. The Committee is always looking for more questions for this monthly column.

What is the difference between the Library of Congress subject headings "Excavations (Archaeology)" and "Archaeology?"

The term "Excavations (Archaeology)" is used as a subject heading when the material is about actual archaeological digs, or for materials on sites in different places. This subject heading is subdivided geographically by the place where the archaeological sites are located. An additional heading is added with the place subdivided by "Antiquities."

For example:
Excavations (Archeology)--Spain
Spain--Antiquities

These subject headings would be assigned to a book that was an archaeological site report, or was about archaeological sites in Spain.

The term "Archaeology" is used as a subject heading when the material is about archaeology as a branch of learning. This heading may be subdivided geographically for works on this branch of learning in a specific place. For example:

Archaeology--Spain

This subject heading would be assigned to a book that was on the science of archaeology in Spain.