The Agricultural Revolution in Prehistory addresses one of the most debated and least understood revolutions in the history of our species, the change from hunting and gathering to farming. Graeme Barker takes a global view, and integrates a massive array of information from archaeology and many other disciplines, including anthropology, botany, climatology, genetics, linguistics, and zoology. Against current orthodoxy, Barker develops a strong case for the development of agricultural systems in many areas as transformations in the life-ways of the indigenous forager societies, and argues...

Archaeology is one of the most interdisciplinary of all academic subjects; it draws on the natural and physical sciences and is closely related to fields in the social sciences and humanities such as history and anthropology. This volume brings together the myriad strands and the great temporal and spatial breadth of the field into a single thematically organized volume. The volume is organized into three major sections: origins, aims and methods of archaeology; problems and approaches to archaeology; and the development of human society and archaeology. Each section is introduced by the...

Many dryland regions contain archaeological remains which suggest that there must have been intensive phases of settlement in what now seem to be dry and degraded environments. Many people have speculated about what must have happened to turn past glories into present day barrenness, opinions generally dividing between climatic change and human activity as the primary culprit. Perhaps climate shifted to greater aridity, perhaps catastrophic but short-term droughts became too frequent? Or was it that people sowed the seeds of their own destruction, for example by removing trees or developing...

In recent years archaeologists and paleontologists have become increasingly interested in how and why vertebrate animal remains become, or do not become, fossils. Vertebrate Taphonomy introduces interested researchers to the wealth of analytical techniques developed by archaeologists and paleontologists to help them understand why prehistoric animal remains do or do not preserve, and why those that preserve appear the way they do. This book is comprehensive in scope, and will serve as an important work of reference for years to come.

The first overview of sampling for archaeologists for over twenty years, this manual offers a comprehensive account of the application of statistical sampling theory that is essential to modern archaeological practice, at a range of scales, from the regional to the microscopic. It includes a discussion of the relevance of sampling theory to archaeological interpretation, and considers its fundamental place in fieldwork and post excavation study. It demonstrates the vast range of techniques that are available, only some of which are widely used by archaeologists. A section on statistical...

The first overview of sampling for archaeologists for over twenty years, this manual offers a comprehensive account of the application of statistical sampling theory that is essential to modern archaeological practice, at a range of scales, from the regional to the microscopic. It includes a discussion of the relevance of sampling theory to archaeological interpretation, and considers its fundamental place in fieldwork and post excavation study. It demonstrates the vast range of techniques that are available, only some of which are widely used by archaeologists. A section on statistical...

This comprehensive technical manual is designed to give archaeologists the necessary background knowledge in environmental science required to excavate and analyze archaeological sites by rivers and on floodplains. Bringing together information on the evolution and exploitation of floodplain and river landscapes, this text draws on examples from Britain, Europe, North America and Australasia. An important theme is the interaction between climatic and cultural forces and the transformation of riverine environments.

This book is an encyclopedic treatment of shell analysis with material suitable for students and professional archaeologists and paleontologists. It covers the history of archaeological interest in shells, the biology of freshwater and marine mollusks, and critically discusses current techniques, methods, and research problems. What can shells tell us about the environmental characteristics and ancient habitats or about the people who collected them? These and other fascinating questions are raised in this authoritative, accessible text.

Fieldwork in archaeology has been transformed over the past three decades. Drawing on a wealth of experience in excavating some of the most complex, deeply-stratified sites in Britain, Steve Roskams describes the changes that have taken place in the theory and practice of excavation. He provides a clear account of pre-excavation reconnaissance and site evaluation, the preparations for full excavation, the process of excavation, and the recording of photographic, spatial, stratigraphic, and physical evidence. This manual will be welcomed by the professional excavator, academic researchers,...

The Etruscans were the creators of one of the most highly developed cultures of the pre-Roman Mediterranean.