Michael Rostovtzeff quotes:

For me archaeology is not a source of illustrations for written texts, but an independent source of historical information, with no less value and importance, sometimes more importance, that the written sources.

For long, history was mainly political history, and historical narrative was confined to an account of the most important crises in political life, or to an account of wars and great generals.

We must learn, and we are gradually learning, how to write history with the help of archaeology.