A general definition that covers in a broad sense the meaning of Archaeometry: Archaeometry is the application and interpretation of natural science data within an anthropological context. Anthropology is the study of archaeology, social anthropology, physical anthropology and linguistics to reconstruct human behavior past and present. Archaeometry can contribute to the understanding of past human behavior. But, what does an archaeometrist do? They apply physical principles to anthropological problems for the purpose of reconstructing human behavior.

The works of an archaeometrist

(1) Look non-intrusively for archaeological targets that are buried; (2) Attempt to determine the age of an artifact; (3) ascertain of what and how these artifacts were composed; from whence they came (provenance); (4) whether they be "the real thing" or a modern copy (authenticity); (5) the environmental context from which the artifacts came; and (6) the data manipulation and processing methods that contribute to the results obtained.