Archaeology as Human Ecology by
Archaeology as Human Ecology is a new introduction to concepts and methods in archaeology. It deals not with artifacts, but with sites, settlements, and subsistence. Karl W. Butzer's goal is to interpret the ecosystem of which an archaeologicial site or site network was part. Components of this study include geo-archaeology, archaeobotany, zoo-archaeology, and archaeometry. These methods are then used in examining interactions between human communities and their biophysical environment: the impact of settlement on site formation and the effects of subsistence activities on plants, animals, soils, and overall landscape modification. Finally, the methods and theoretical approach, are applied to examine the processes of cultural change and continuity. The approach of Archaeology as Human Ecology goes far beyond traditional environmental archaeology, which is concerned with simple reconstruction. It provides a clear, systemic approach that immediately allows an assessment of interactions. For the first time, it attempts to develop a comprehensive spatial archaeology - one that is far more than derivative spatial analysis.
Practical and Theoretical Geoarchaeology by
Practical and Theoretical Geoarchaeology provides an invaluable overview of geoarchaeology and how it can be used effectively in the study of archaeological sites and contexts. Taking a pragmatic and functional approach, this book presents: a fundamental, broad-based perspective of the essentials of modern geoarchaeology in order to demonstrate the breadth of the approaches and the depth of the problems that it can tackle. the rapid advances made in the area in recent years, but also gives the reader a firm grasp of conventional approaches. covers traditional topics with the emphasis on landscapes, as well as anthropogenic site formation processes and their investigation. provides guidelines for the presentation of field and laboratory methods and the reporting of geoarchaeological results. essential reading for archaeology undergraduate and graduate students, practicing archaeologists and geoscientists who need to understand and apply geoarchaeological methodologies. Artwork from the book is available to instructors online at: www.blackwellpublishing.com/goldberg "This is one of the best textbooks that I have read in years. I enjoyed reviewing it, and found it well-written and thorough in its coverage of the traditional earth science aspects of geoarchaeology. The non-traditional aspects were intriguing and equally thorough... I predict that this book will become the textbook of choice for geoarchaeology classes for several years." Geomorphology 101 (2008) 740-743
Applied Soils and Micromorphology in Archaeology by
Applied Soils and Micromorphology in Archaeology provides the most up-to-date information on soil science and its applications in archaeology. Based on more than three decades of investigations and experiments, the volume demonstrates how description protocols and complimentary methods (SEM/EDS, microprobe, micro-FTIR, bulk soil chemistry, micro- and macrofossils) are used in interpretations. It also focuses on key topics, such as palaeosols, cultivation, and occupation surfaces, and introduces a range of current issues, such as site inundation, climate change, settlement morphology, herding, trackways, industrial processes, funerary features, and site transformation. Structured around important case studies, Applied Soils and Micromorphology in Archaeology is thoroughly-illustrated, with color plates and figures, tables and other ancillary materials on its website (www.cambridge.org/9781107011380); chapter appendices can be accessed separately using the web (www.geoarchaeology.info/asma). This new book will serve as an essential volume for all archaeological inquiry about soil.
