Final answer:
A new hypothesis in archaeology often emerges when discoveries challenge old theories. This happens through the excavation of artifacts and careful interpretation, which reveal more about human history, like the study of sites such as Göbekli Tepe and the analysis of early human diets.
Step-by-step explanation:
When archaeologists unearth new evidence or artifacts, the prevailing hypotheses about historical events or cultural practices, such as the inception of art or monumental architecture, may be challenged or refined. A new hypothesis emerges to accommodate these discoveries and provide a more accurate interpretation of the past. For instance, at Göbekli Tepe, a site that predates the Neolithic Revolution, the complexity of the structures and the evidence of large-scale social organization among hunter-gatherers led to new theories about the development of religious sites and social structures in human history. In analyzing early human diets, archaeologists study remains such as food residues in cooking implements, isotope analysis of human bones, teeth for wear patterns, and fossilized pollen. These discoveries, alongside the careful removal and interpretation of ancient artifacts and communal graves, paint a nuanced picture of human history that defies previously held assumptions about the sophistication and capabilities of early human societies.