Earth Sciences and Archaeology

"This is a "must have" book for every archaeologist, and particularly American archaeologists. Because American archaeologists receive their training in departments of anthropology, most archaeology students receive extensive training in ethnology, physical anthropology, and cultural history, but a minimum of training in the earth sciences, so critical for understanding the archaeological record and how it got that way. This book, assembled by three earth scientists with extensive experience with archaeological settings, contains 17 detailed articles summarizing the current state of knowledge in a variety of earth science techniques used in archaeology. Each article is written by a recognized specialist in that field. This book will be most useful as an introductory text for archaeologists at the graduate level, as a guide for those earth scientists working in archaeological settings, and as a handy reference for all active field archaeologists." (Fred Wendorf, Henderson-Morrison Professor of Prehistory, Southern Methodist University) "This is a superb volume, written by the major scholars in the application of geoarchaeological techniques. It will be essential for all archaeologists who are planning excavation projects." (Thomas Hester, Texas Archeological Research Lab, Austin, USA) "The distinguished editors have assembled a superb collection of essays by notable scholars that will be useful to anyone who appreciates the geological context of archaeological remains." (Michael Brian Schiffer, Dept. of Anthropology, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA) "This is the most comprehensive and authoritative volume on the interplay between geology and archaeology published to date. Written by leading scholars, the broad geographic and topical coverage of the individual contributions makes it a "must have" for students and professionals alike. The editors have done a tremendous job of maintaining a clear focus and consistent quality to the volume, which should encourage its use in the classroom." (Harold L. Dibble, Dept. of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA) "Earth Sciences and Archaeology is a celebration of the growing partnership between geology, pedology, geology, geophysics and archaeology, and the sophistication by which specialists apply their expert knowledge to the resolution of key archaeological topics. This book is indispensable for anyone who wishes to gain an in depth understanding of how earth sciences contribute to a better understanding of our human past, and those who want to keep abreast of the current advances in an interdisciplinary domain that has become an integral element in contemporary archaeological practice." (Fekri Hassan, Dept. of Egyptology, Institute of Archaeology, University College London, UK)

• I. Background.- 1 Quaternary Geoscience In Archaeology.- 2 A Review of Site Formation Processes and Their Relevance to Geoarchaeology.- II. Geomorphological Studies.- 3 Evaluating Causality of Landscape Change: Examples from Alluviation.- 4 Geoarchaeology in Alluvial Landscapes.- 5 A Geomorphological Approach to Reconstructing Archaeological Settlement Patterns Based on Surficial Artifact Distribution: Replacing Humans on the Landscape.- 6 Archaeoseismology: Shaking Out the History of Humans and Earthquakes.- III. Soils, Sediments, and Microstratigraphy.- 7 Use and Analysis of Soils by Archaeologists and Geoscientists: A North American Perspective.- 8 Microfacies Analysis Assisting Archaeological Stratigraphy.- 9 The Soil Micromorphologist as Team Player: A Multianalytical Approach to the Study of European Microstratigraphy.- 10 Buried Artifacts in Sandy Soils: Techniques for Evaluating Pedoturbation versus Sedimentation.- IV. Specific Techniques.- 11 The Role of Petrography in the Study of Archaeological Ceramics.- 12 Microartifacts.- 13 Current Practices in Archaeogeophysics: Magnetics, Resistivity, Conductivity, and Ground-Penetrating Radar.- V. Geochemical Methods.- 14 Beyond 14C Dating: A User’s Guide to Long-Range Dating Methods in Archaeology.- 15 Stable Carbon and Oxygen Isotopes in Soils: Applications for Archaeological Research.- 16 Sourcing Lithic Artifacts by Instrumental Analyses.- VI. A Prehistorian’s Perspective.- 17 A Personal View of Earth Sciences’Contributions to Archaeology.