excavation

/ˌekskəˈveɪʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌekskəˈveɪʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌek-skə-ˈvā-shən/ (ame, mw)

excavation — noun

  • excavationsingular
  • excavationsplural

1. the process of digging carefully into the ground to uncover ancient objects, bui

1.名詞B2
釋義

the process of digging carefully into the ground to uncover ancient objects, buildings, or other remains, so that people can study them and learn about the past

例句

The excavation of the Roman fort uncovered over two thousand artefacts.

excavation of + [archaeological site]

Trang joined an excavation in Egypt where the team found a temple under the sand.

同義詞
  • dig

    more informal and slightly broader; 'dig' can refer to any instance of digging, while 'excavation' emphasises systematic, organised work

  • unearthing

    focuses on the discovery aspect rather than the digging process itself; 'the unearthing of a Roman villa'

  • archaeological exploration

    more formal and broader, covering surveying and research before actual digging

文法句型

excavation + of + [site/place/period]

carry out / conduct / begin an excavation

用法筆記

This sense is the most common use of 'excavation'. Distinguish from sense 2 (DIGGING HOLES), which refers to digging for construction purposes rather than archaeological discovery. Frequently takes the pattern 'excavation of + [archaeological site or period]'.

常見錯誤

❌The palaeontologists started an excavation for dinosaur bones.
✅The palaeontologists started a dig for dinosaur bones.
💡Excavation in archaeology targets human artefacts and structures; dinosaur fossils are recovered through palaeontological digs, not archaeological excavations.
❌I did an excavation of my garden to plant flowers.
✅I dug up my garden to plant flowers.
💡Excavation implies large-scale, systematic or professional digging, not casual garden work.

2. the process of using heavy equipment to dig into the earth and create an open sp

2.名詞B2
釋義

the process of using heavy equipment to dig into the earth and create an open space for construction, pipelines, or other large projects

例句

The excavation for the new building's basement required three weeks of work.

excavation for + [construction purpose]

Imran operates a large digger on road excavations, creating space for pipelines.

road excavation — common compound noun

同義詞
  • digging

    a more general everyday term; 'excavation' suggests larger scale or mechanical digging

  • trenching

    narrower — specifically creating a long, narrow channel

  • earthmoving

    broader — includes moving earth for grading, filling, and levelling, not just digging

反義詞

文法句型

excavation + of + [object]

excavation + for + [purpose]

用法筆記

Often appears in compound nouns such as 'road excavation' and 'foundation excavation'. This sense is distinct from sense 1 (ARCHAEOLOGICAL DIG) in that it concerns practical construction or infrastructure work rather than historical discovery.

常見錯誤

❌The gardener did an excavation of the flower bed.
✅The gardener dug up the flower bed.
💡Excavation implies professional, large-scale digging, typically with machinery; casual garden digging is simply 'digging'.

3. a hole or hollow space in the ground that was formed by digging or scooping out

3.名詞B2
釋義

a hole or hollow space in the ground that was formed by digging or scooping out earth

例句

The miners climbed down into the dark excavation with lamps on their helmets.

into the excavation — prepositional phrase showing direction

Rainwater filled the old excavation, turning it into a small pond for frogs.

同義詞
  • hole

    a more general and common word, while 'excavation' implies a hole created by organised digging

  • cavity

    more technical and less common in everyday speech; often used in geology or medicine

  • pit

    usually deeper than wide, sometimes with a specific purpose such as a mine pit or test pit

反義詞
  • mound

    a raised pile of earth, opposite of a hollow

文法句型

into / in / inside the excavation

[adjective] + excavation

用法筆記

This sense refers to the physical hole or cavity itself, rather than the activity of digging. Distinguish from sense 2 (DIGGING HOLES), where the focus is on the act of digging. Here the noun is always countable.

常見錯誤

❌There was a small excavation in the ground where the rabbit had dug.
✅There was a small hole in the ground where the rabbit had dug.
💡Excavation suggests a man-made cavity, not a small animal burrow.

4. a place where archaeologists are digging into the ground to discover old objects

4.名詞B2
釋義

a place where archaeologists are digging into the ground to discover old objects, buildings, or remains from the past

例句

Visitors to the excavation can watch the archaeologists work and ask questions.

visit the excavation — used as a location

The excavation near the river has already produced dozens of ancient coins.

同義詞
  • dig site

    less formal, common among archaeologists themselves; 'the dig site produced no new finds'

  • archaeological site

    broader — includes sites that have not yet been excavated

  • trench

    narrower — a specific long, narrow excavation within a larger site

文法句型

at / on / visit an excavation

用法筆記

This sense uses 'excavation' to mean the site or location where digging takes place, rather than the activity or the hole. Distinguish from sense 1 (ARCHAEOLOGICAL DIG), which refers to the process; sense 4 is a place you can visit. Often used with 'at', 'visit', 'work at'.

常見錯誤

❌The excavation is in the middle of a farmer's field.' (when describing a hole)
✅Use 'the excavation site is in the middle of a farmer's field' for clarity when distinguishing location from hole.