Archaeology: The Basics

Archaeology: The Basics is a concise and engaging book that provides a comprehensive introduction to the field of archaeology, covering topics such as the archaeological record, ancient technologies, settlement patterns, cultural change, and the spiritual realm. Written by two experienced archaeologists, the book emphasizes the global nature of archaeology and its relevance to understanding human biological and cultural diversity.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 202 pages
Publication date: 08 February 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Rewritten for this fourth edition, this concise and engaging book takes readers on a captivating journey into the realm of archaeology and archaeologists. Written in a non-technical style by two seasoned archaeologists and historians, the book begins by introducing archaeology as a unique approach to studying the entirety of human history, spanning from our origins some six million years ago to the present day. The authors emphasize that archaeology is a global study of human biological and cultural diversity. After providing a brief overview of early archaeological discoveries, the authors delve into the multidisciplinary nature of modern archaeology. They discuss the archaeological record, the archives of the past, and the significance of understanding the contexts of time and space. Two chapters, filled with illustrative examples, explore these critical questions. Subsequent chapters explore ancient technologies and the methods used to study them, while also addressing the important topic of changing ancient environments and climate change. Zooarchaeology, flotation methods, and other techniques are employed to reconstruct ancient diets and subsistence patterns, leading to an examination of shifting settlement patterns across the landscape. The book then delves into the study of individuals and groups from the past, utilizing bioarchaeology to shed light on their lives. Two chapters explore ancient culture change and the remarkable diversity of ancient societies, followed by an exploration of the spiritual realm and the intangible. The final chapter examines the importance of archaeology in today's world. Rich with numerous examples and contemporary perspectives on archaeology, this book aims to answer a fundamental question: What insights does archaeology offer about ourselves?

Weight: 234g
Dimension: 129 x 196 x 16 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032024813
Edition number: 4 New edition