About
Archaeology is a macOS app for inspecting binary files, many of which lack widely available inspection tools. macOS uses numerous binary formats, from well-supported binary property lists to standard formats like X.509 certificates and App Store receipts, as well as Apple-proprietary formats such as compiled nibs, keyed archives, code signatures, and URL bookmarks. Many files also embed data blobs in other formats, so a single file can contain several layers of encoded data.
With Archaeology, you can open files like configuration profiles and decode their payloads, verify the signature on a CMS message and inspect the certificate that created it, or open the file that stores your "Recent Applications" list and trace its object graph. You can also find and decode an application's URL bookmark. The website notes that Archaeology can inspect only some of these formats, and a Formats page lists the full set it supports.
The developers say Archaeology is a niche tool. They built it originally for debugging their own products and everyday macOS problems, and released it after finding it repeatedly useful. They acknowledge that if you don't see a need for it, you probably don't need it.
What's new
All release notesHomebrew cask archaeology 1.8,357 (sha256 no_check).