Discovering Our Past : A Brief Introduction to Archaeology

Chapter 1. Introduction

Archaeologists and Archaeology

Archaeology as a Science

Archaeology and History

Archaeology and Anthropology

Archaeology as a Profession

Summary

For Further Reading

Chapter 2. Archaeology’s Past

The Origins of Archaeology

The Emergence of Modern Archaeology

Summary

For Further Reading

Chapter 3. Contemporary Approaches to Archaeology

The Cultural History Approach

The Normative Model of Culture • Cultural History Research • Cultural History Frameworks

The Cultural Process Approach

Ecological and Materialist Models of Culture • Cultural Process Research • Cultural Process Frameworks

The Postprocessual Approach

The Postprocessual Model of Culture • Postprocessual Research • Postprocessual Frameworks

Summary

For Further Reading

Chapter 4. How Archaeology Works

Archaeological Data

Artifacts • Features • Ecofacts • Sites • Regions

Deposition and Transformation

Research Design

Data Sampling • Research Stages

Archaeological Research Projects

Summary

For Further Reading

Chapter 5. Fieldwork

Surface Survey

Discovering Archaeological Sites • Methods of Discovery • Locating Archaeological Sites • Site Survey •

Preliminary Site Definition

Excavation

Stratigraphy •Excavation Methods • Provenience Control • Recording Archaeological Data

Data Processing

Classification

Summary

For Further Reading

Chapter 6. Analyzing the Past

Artifacts

Lithic Artifacts • Ceramic Artifacts • Metal Artifacts • Organic Artifacts

Ecofacts

Floral Ecofacts • Faunal Ecofacts • Human Remains •

Soils and Sediments

Features

Constructed Features • Cumulative Features

Summary

For Further Reading

Chapter 7. Dating the Past

Seriation

Stylistic Seriation • Frequency Seriation

Sequence Comparison

Stratigraphy

Geochronology

Obsidian Hydration

Floral and Faunal Methods

Dendrochronology • Bone Chemistry

Radiometric Methods

Radiocarbon • Potassium-Argon • Argon-Argon • Uranium Series • Fission-Track

Archaeomagnetism

Limited and Experimental Methods

Summary

For Further Reading

Chapter 8. Reconstructing the Past

Analogy

Abuse of Analogy • Specific and General Analogy • Sources of Analogs

Spatial Order and Behavior

Technology • Social Systems • Ideological Systems

Summary

For Further Reading

Chapter 9. Understanding the Past

Cultural History Interpretation

Cultural Processual Interpretation

Postprocessual Interpretation

Understanding the Past from Multiple Approaches

Agriculture and Cultural History • Agriculture and Cultural Process • Agriculture and Postprocessualism • Combining Approaches

Summary

For Further Reading

Chapter 10. Archaeology Today

Looting and Antiquities Collecting

Destruction in the Name of Progress

Cultural Resource Management

Effects of Nationalism, Colonialism, and War

Working with Descendant Communities

The Responsibilities of Archaeology

Summary

For Further Reading

Glossary

Bibliography

Index

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