Manuals in Archaeological Method, Theory and Technique – serie

This practical volume, the first book in the Manuals in Archaeological Method, Theory and Technique series, examines in detail the factors that affect archaeological detectability in surveys whose methods range from visual to remote sensing in land, underwater, and intertidal zones - furnishing a comprehensive treatment of prospection, parameter estimation, model building, and detection of spatial structure.

This practical volume, the first book in the Manuals in Archaeological Method, Theory and Technique series, examines in detail the factors that affect archaeological detectability in surveys whose methods range from visual to remote sensing in land, underwater, and intertidal zones - furnishing a comprehensive treatment of prospection, parameter estimation, model building, and detection of spatial structure.

Stone tools constitute our earliest record of human material culture. As such, they have held a fascination since the earliest days of archaeological research. Procedures by which archaeological stone tools have been analyzed have traditionally operated on an apprenticeship model, whereby a novice acquires competency from an expert in the field. While this pedagogical model has been tried and tested, it is not always the most efficient method: it is labor intensive, and it requires a resident lithics expert. This practical volume does not intend to replace a mentor, but acts as a readily accessible guide to the basic tools of lithic analysis that a researcher can consult. Some focuses of the manual include: - History of stone tool research, Procurement, manufacture and function, Assemblage variability. This manual also includes text boxes, bringing basic terms and information to the attention of the researcher. Lithic Analysis will be an incomparable source for academic archaeologists, cultural resource and heritage management archaeologists, government heritage agencies, and upper-level undergraduate and graduate students of archaeology focused on the prehistoric period.

Stone tools constitute our earliest record of human material culture. As such, they have held a fascination since the earliest days of archaeological research. Procedures by which archaeological stone tools have been analyzed have traditionally operated on an apprenticeship model, whereby a novice acquires competency from an expert in the field. While this pedagogical model has been tried and tested, it is not always the most efficient method: it is labor intensive, and it requires a resident lithics expert. This practical volume does not intend to replace a mentor, but acts as a readily accessible guide to the basic tools of lithic analysis that a researcher can consult. Some focuses of the manual include: - History of stone tool research, Procurement, manufacture and function, Assemblage variability. This manual also includes text boxes, bringing basic terms and information to the attention of the researcher. Lithic Analysis will be an incomparable source for academic archaeologists, cultural resource and heritage management archaeologists, government heritage agencies, and upper-level undergraduate and graduate students of archaeology focused on the prehistoric period.

For too long graveyard studies have been seen as an eccentric byway rather than a specialist subject area with as much to contribute as the study of ceramics, building types or faunal remains. As a category of material evidence with variety of form, decoration and text, it is suitable for many forms of analysis. Graveyard memorials form a rich seam of archaeological evidence, but publication is often in a local format. The situating of mortuary studies within the local is both valuable and stimulating, but it can mean that valuable studies of interest to others are not discovered. This practical volume focuses on the study of historic burial ground monuments but also covers some below ground archaeology, as some projects will involve the study of both. The linking between above and below ground data has rarely been achieved, and the integration of graveyard data within settlement and landscape archaeology has also been likewise rarely attempted. Some areas covered are: - A brief history and theoretical approached to historic mortuary archaeology; - Attitudes to death, the body and remembrance; - How to carry out a study; - Conservation, education, and display.Mortuary Monuments and Burial Grounds of the Historic Period will be an incomparable source for academic archaeologists, cultural resource and heritage management archaeologists, government heritage agencies, and upper-level undergraduate and graduate students of archaeology focused on the historic or post-medieval period, as well as forensic researchers and anthropologists.

For too long graveyard studies have been seen as an eccentric byway rather than a specialist subject area with as much to contribute as the study of ceramics, building types or faunal remains. As a category of material evidence with variety of form, decoration and text, it is suitable for many forms of analysis. Graveyard memorials form a rich seam of archaeological evidence, but publication is often in a local format. The situating of mortuary studies within the local is both valuable and stimulating, but it can mean that valuable studies of interest to others are not discovered. This practical volume focuses on the study of historic burial ground monuments but also covers some below ground archaeology, as some projects will involve the study of both. The linking between above and below ground data has rarely been achieved, and the integration of graveyard data within settlement and landscape archaeology has also been likewise rarely attempted. Some areas covered are: - A brief history and theoretical approached to historic mortuary archaeology; - Attitudes to death, the body and remembrance; - How to carry out a study; - Conservation, education, and display. Mortuary Monuments an

Many archaeologists, as primarily social scientists, do not have a background in the natural sciences. This can pose a problem because they need to obtain chemical and physical analyses on samples to perform their research. This manual is an essential source of information for those students without a background in science, but also a comprehensive overview that those with some understanding of archaeological science will find useful. The manual provides readers with the knowledge to use archaeological science methods to the best advantage. It describes and explains the analytical techniques in a manner that the average archaeologist can understand, and outlines clearly the requirements, benefits, and limitations of each possible method of analysis, so that the researcher can make informed choices. The work includes specific information about a variety of dating techniques, provenance studies, isotope analysis as well as the analysis of organic (lipid and protein) residues and ancient DNA. Case studies illustrating applications of these approaches to most types of archaeological materials are presented and the instruments used to perform the analyses are described. Available destructive and non-destructive approaches are presented to help archaeologists select the most effective technique for gaining the target information from the sample. Readers will reach for this manual whenever they need to decide how to best analyze a sample, and how the analysis is performed.

The work includes specific information about a variety of dating techniques, provenance studies, isotope analysis as well as the analysis of organic (lipid and protein) residues and ancient DNA.

One of the most significant developments in archaeology in recent years is the emergence of its environmental branch: the study of humans’ interactions with their natural surroundings over long periods and of organic remains instead of the artifacts and household items generally associated with sites. With the current attention paid to human responsibility for environmental change, this innovative field is recognized by scientists, conservation and heritage managers and policymakers worldwide. In this context comes Environmental Archaeology by Elizabeth Reitz and Myra Shackley, updating the seminal 1981 text Environmental Archaeology by Myra Shackley. Rigorously detailed yet concise and accessible, this volume surveys the complex and technical field of environmental archaeology for researchers interested in the causes, consequences and potential future impact of environmental change and archaeology. Its coverage acknowledges the multiple disciplines involved in the field, expanding the possibilities for using environmental data from archaeological sites in enriching related disciplines and improving communication among them. Introductory chapters explain the processes involved in the formation of sites, introduce research designs and field methods and walk the reader through biological classifications before focusing on the various levels of biotic and abiotic materials found at sites, including: Sediments and soils. Viruses, bacteria, archaea, protists and fungi. Bryophytes and vascular plants. Wood, charcoal, stems, leaves and roots. Spores, pollen and other microbotanical remains. Arthropods, molluscs, echinoderms and vertebrates. Stable isotopes, elements and biomolecules. The updated Environmental Archaeology is a major addition to the resource library of archaeologists, environmentalists, historians, researchers, policymakers—anyone involved in studying, managing or preserving historical sites. The updated Environmental Archaeology is a majoraddition to the resource library of archaeologists, environmentalists, historians, researchers, policymakers—anyone involved in studying, managing, or preserving historical sites.

The 1992 publication of Pottery Function brought together the ethnographic study of the Kalinga and developed a method and theory for how pottery was actually used. Since then, there have been considerable advances in understanding how pottery was actually used, particularly in the area of residue analysis, abrasion, and sooting/carbonization. At the 20th anniversary of the book, it is time to assess what has been done and learned. One of the concerns of those working in pottery analysis is that they are unsure how to “do” use-alteration analysis on their collection. Another common concern is understanding intended pottery function—the connections between technical choices and function. This book is designed to answer these questions using case studies from the author and his colleagues for applying use-alteration analysis to infer actual pottery function. The focus of Understanding Pottery Function is on how practicing archaeologists can infer function from their ceramic collection.

This book offers a manual and reference guide on such issues as excavation techniques, ethical issues in handling of human remains including NAGPRA compliance, lab and forensic techniques, field and taphonomic clues and more. Includes a range of field studies.

The 1992 publication of Pottery Function brought together the ethnographic study of the Kalinga and developed a method and theory for how pottery was actually used. Since then, there have been considerable advances in understanding how pottery was actually used, particularly in the area of residue analysis, abrasion, and sooting/carbonization. At the 20th anniversary of the book, it is time to assess what has been done and learned. One of the concerns of those working in pottery analysis is that they are unsure how to “do” use-alteration analysis on their collection. Another common concern is understanding intended pottery function—the connections between technical choices and function. This book is designed to answer these questions using case studies from the author and his colleagues for applying use-alteration analysis to infer actual pottery function. The focus of Understanding Pottery Function is on how practicing archaeologists can infer function from their ceramic collection.

One of the most significant developments in archaeology in recent years is the emergence of its environmental branch: the study of humans’ interactions with their natural surroundings over long periods and of organic remains instead of the artifacts and household items generally associated with sites. With the current attention paid to human responsibility for environmental change, this innovative field is recognized by scientists, conservation and heritage managers and policymakers worldwide. In this context comes Environmental Archaeology by Elizabeth Reitz and Myra Shackley, updating the seminal 1981 text Environmental Archaeology by Myra Shackley. Rigorously detailed yet concise and accessible, this volume surveys the complex and technical field of environmental archaeology for researchers interested in the causes, consequences and potential future impact of environmental change and archaeology. Its coverage acknowledges the multiple disciplines involved in the field, expanding the possibilities for using environmental data from archaeological sites in enriching related disciplines and improving communication among them. Introductory chapters explain the processes involved in the formation of sites, introduce research designs and field methods and walk the reader through biological classifications before focusing on the various levels of biotic and abiotic materials found at sites, including: Sediments and soils. Viruses, bacteria, archaea, protists and fungi. Bryophytes and vascular plants. Wood, charcoal, stems, leaves and roots. Spores, pollen and other microbotanical remains. Arthropods, molluscs, echinoderms and vertebrates. Stable isotopes, elements and biomolecules. The updated Environmental Archaeology is a major addition to the resource library of archaeologists, environmentalists, historians, researchers, policymakers—anyone involved in studying, managing or preserving historical sites. The updated Environmental Archaeology is a majoraddition to the resource library of archaeologists, environmentalists, historians, researchers, policymakers—anyone involved in studying, managing, or preserving historical sites.

This volume is the first manual book to address fire-cracked rock (FCR) or fire-affected rock analysis, thus filling a significant gap in the market and in the existing literature.

This volume is the first manual book to address fire-cracked rock (FCR) or fire-affected rock analysis, thus filling a significant gap in the market and in the existing literature. This book develops a method and theory for how FCR was used, to familiarize readers with a new approach to FCR analysis. The book provides a history and background of fire-cracked rock and leads the reader through the entire process of identifying, categorizing, and analyzing FCR and related features, from the first steps through to interpretations of function, use-alteration, fracturing patterns, experimentation, ethnographic/ethnohistoric uses, and so forth. In addition to exploring the fundamentals of FCR analysis, the book will also cover new and cutting-edge techniques. This manual is designed to walk archaeologists from step one of FCR analysis to final advanced interpretations of use. It is meant to serve as a laboratory and field guide for students and professionals, containing illustrations, photographs, and case studies in order to familiarize readers with the identification and analysis process while also providing a theoretical and methodological guide for advance academic and cultural resource management research. Thus, this book is meant to target a wide global audience and spatiotemporal range, spanning hundreds of millennia of the human experience, from paleoanthropology and the early adoption of fire through to the present.Where FCR was once simply quantified according to weight and size, this book will transform it into a significant diagnostic artifact in the study of ancient foodways and domestic life. At sites where organic preservation is poor to non-existent, and the quotidian sphere is obscure, the use of FCR to determine cooking methods and everyday life will come as a breakthrough. This will be a pioneering manual for the study of FCR, focusing on the ways practicing archaeologists can infer function from their FCR collections.

This manual pulls together—and illustrates with interesting case studies—the variety of specialized and generalized archaeological research strategies that yield new insights into science. Throughout the book there are templates, consisting of questions, to help readers visualize and design their own projects. The manual seeks to be as general as possible, applicable to any society, and so science is defined as the creation of useful knowledge—the kinds of knowledge that enable people to make predictions. The chapters in Part I discuss the scope of the archaeology of science and furnish a conceptual foundation for the remainder of the book. Next, Part II presents several specialized, but widely practiced, research strategies that contribute to the archaeology of science. In order to thoroughly ground the manual in real-life applications, Part III presents lengthy case studies that feature the use of historical and archaeological evidence in the study of scientific activities.

This manual pulls together—and illustrates with interesting case studies—the variety of specialized and generalized archaeological research strategies that yield new insights into science. Throughout the book there are templates, consisting of questions, to help readers visualize and design their own projects. The manual seeks to be as general as possible, applicable to any society, and so science is defined as the creation of useful knowledge—the kinds of knowledge that enable people to make predictions. The chapters in Part I discuss the scope of the archaeology of science and furnish a conceptual foundation for the remainder of the book. Next, Part II presents several specialized, but widely practiced, research strategies that contribute to the archaeology of science. In order to thoroughly ground the manual in real-life applications, Part III presents lengthy case studies that feature the use of historical and archaeological evidence in the study of scientific activities.

Use-Wear and Residue Analysis in Archaeology

This manual pulls together—and illustrates with interesting case studies—the variety of specialized and generalized archaeological research strategies that yield new insights into science. Throughout the book there are templates, consisting of questions, to help readers visualize and design their own projects. The manual seeks to be as general as possible, applicable to any society, and so science is defined as the creation of useful knowledge—the kinds of knowledge that enable people to make predictions. The chapters in Part I discuss the scope of the archaeology of science and furnish a conceptual foundation for the remainder of the book. Next, Part II presents several specialized, but widely practiced, research strategies that contribute to the archaeology of science. In order to thoroughly ground the manual in real-life applications, Part III presents lengthy case studies that feature the use of historical and archaeological evidence in the study of scientific activities.