This new brief version of the best-selling textbook was carefully rewritten to provide a readable and compact introduction to archaeology for those new to the field. No other book of this length can match its range of essential information and explanation. The vocabulary and the use of technical terms have been carefully reviewed. The amount of detail has been considerably reduced, and coverage of difficult or cutting-edge topics is made more accessible for students in courses that treat such subjects briefly. In particular, the coverage of archaeological theory and science has been substantially rewritten to provide a convenient overview without overwhelming the student.
| Preface |
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7 | (1) |
| Introduction |
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8 | (4) |
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The nature and aims of archaeology |
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12 | (24) |
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The history of archaeology |
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36 | (24) |
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The variety of the evidence |
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60 | (44) |
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Survey and excavation of sites and features |
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104 | (36) |
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Dating methods and chronology |
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5 How Were Societies Organized? |
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140 | (32) |
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6 What Was the Environment and What Did They Eat? |
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172 | (34) |
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Environment, subsistence, and diet |
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7 How Were Artifacts Made, Used, and Distributed? |
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206 | (24) |
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Technology, trade, and exchange |
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230 | (12) |
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The bioarchaeology of people |
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242 | (22) |
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10 Why Did Things Change? |
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264 | (22) |
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Explanation in archaeology |
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286 | (20) |
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Archaeology and the public |
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12 The Future of the Past |
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306 | (16) |
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| Glossary |
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322 | (6) |
| Illustration Credits |
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328 | (1) |
| Index |
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329 | |
Colin Renfrew is Disney Professor Emeritus of Archaeology and former Director of the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge. He is the author and editor of many books, including Before Civilization, Archaeology and Language, and Prehistory and coeditor (with Paul Bahn) of The Cambridge World Prehistory. He is a fellow of the British Academy and a life peer in the House of Lords. Paul Bahn is co-author of Thames & Hudson's hugely influential and bestselling textbook Archaeology: Theories, Methods and Practice, and has also published a variety of popular books, including Easter Island: Earth Island (with John Flenley), Mammoths: Giants of the Ice Age (with Adrian Lister), and Images of the Ice Age, widely regarded as the standard introduction to cave art.
