paleology

Etymology

From paleo- + -logy.

paleology means the study of antiquities or of the ancient past. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 85 out of 100.

Why “paleology” is a great word

PALEOLOGY — [Noun] The systematic study of antiquities, especially those from the ancient or prehistoric past. From the combining form paleo- (from Ancient Greek παλαιός (palaiós, "old")) + -logy (from Ancient Greek -λογία (-logía, "study of")). Unlike paleontology, which interrogates the fossilized remnants of life, or archaeology, which excavates the structured debris of human settlement, paleology is the encompassing romance with antiquity itself. It is the careful tracing of an inscription on a weathered stele, the weight of a bronze axe-head pulled from a peat bog, and the silent grammar of a script no one can now pronounce—a quiet fellowship with the mere fact of survival.

noun

The study of antiquities or of the ancient past