Mark Aldenderfer – författare

Major advances in the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have been made in both anthropology and archaeology. Yet there have been relatively few published discussions of how GIS can be used to approach and solve complex problems in substantive research. This book will bring together users of GIS in these fields to describe research that was either too difficult - or impossible - to achieve using any other tools. The text will be divided into a general section on theory followed by sections on application in cultural anthropology, archaeology, paleoanthropology, and physical anthropology.

Major advances in the use of geographic information systems have been made in both anthropology and archaeology. Yet there are few published discussions of these new applications and their use in solving complex problems. This book explores these techniques, showing how they have been successfully deployed to pursue research previously considered too difficult--or impossible--to undertake. Among the projects described here are studies of land degradation in the Peruvian Amazon, settlement patterns in the Pacific northwest, ethnic distribution within the Los Angeles garment industry, and prehistoric sociopolitical development among the Anasazi. Following an introduction that discusses the theory of geographic information systems in relation to anthropological inquiry, the book is divided into sections demonstrating actual applications in cultural anthropology, archaeology, paleoanthropology, and physical anthropology. The work will be of much interest within all these communities.

The Oxford Handbook of South American Archaeology offers a comprehensive summary of recent research on the prehistory of the continent--from its early peopling to the material manifestations of modern political repression. Organized around eight themes derived from anthropological theory, historical perspectives, and contemporary social issues, most of its seventy-seven chapters are written by local scholars who are experts in their research domains. The Handbook's geographic coverage ranges from the Caribbean Sea to Tierra de Fuego, with special attention paid to the Amazon basin, where major new discoveries throughout the twenty-first century have radically transformed our understanding of this region's prehistory. There are also chapters that examine the continent's colonial era, which include archaeological studies of missions, African slavery, and extractive industries. Other topics covered include Indigenous archaeology, multivocality in service of archaeological interpretation, calls for the decolonization of archaeological practice, feminist perspectives on the struggle of women to achieve parity in the discipline, and a re-examination of the roles that museums can play in working for social change. The result is a thorough exploration of the current landscape of South American archaeology, as well as a call for new compromises that might contribute to the preservation of this continent's cultural heritage--and, hopefully, help us better anticipate social, environmental, and political crises in the future.

The Archaeology of the Tibetan Plateau offers a comprehensive survey of past and recent research on the prehistory of the plateau, from its early peopling to the eve of the foundation of the Tibetan Empire in the 7th C. The first English language book-length study of the Tibetan past, it is organized around eight chapters that describe modern and ancient environments, historical speculations about ancient Tibet by mystics, fascists, and contemporary scholars, evidence of the first peoples to live and thrive on the plateau, the arrival of the domesticated plants and animals that transformed the subsistence economy, and the emergence of early forms of status and prestige. The book concludes with a discussion of how the past informs environmental conservation and heritage preservation and explores how archaeological data are used by the Chinese state to create an alternative vision of the Tibetan past is at odds with indigenous Tibetan perspectives.

Advances in Titicaca Basin Archaeology-I is the first in a series of edited volumes that reports on recent research in the south central Andes. Volume I contains 18 chapters that cover the entire range of human settlement in the region, from the Early Archaic to the early Colonial Period. This book contains both short research reports as well as longer synthetic essays on work conducted over the last decade. It will be a critical resource for scholars working in the central Andes and adjacent areas.