April 7, 1939: The Museum Expedition excavating tombs at Giza, with the pyramids of Khafre (also known as Chephren) and Menkaure (also known as Mycerinus) behind.

Archaeological expeditions help scholars make important discoveries about ancient civilizations. A statue or fragment of a tomb wall may be a very beautiful and valuable thing by itself, but that's just the beginning of the story. It's important to know where an object came from, whether it was found in its original position or was disturbed, and what other objects or buildings were nearby. This information helps determine the date and use of an object.