Chelli Lona Aphra, an archaeologist, is seen exploring a vault here.
Archaeology concerned the study of the cultures and lives of past sentient beings. This was done through the recovery and in-depth, scientific examination of artifacts (specifically, culturally significant material remains). Those who specialized in archaeology were called archaeologists. A sub-discipline within this field was archaeoxenobiology, which involved the analysis and interpretation of biological remnants found at archaeological sites.
The Imperial Ministry for Antiquity participated in archaeological endeavors. This included the location of artifacts considered important to the Galactic Emperor Sheev Palpatine. Under Minister Veris Hydan, it was involved in an excavation of the Lothal Jedi Temple. The existence of an Imperial Institute for Archaeological Exploitation within the Empire was also documented.