The Archaeology Coursebook
An Introduction to Study Skills, Topics and Methods
2nd Edition
Published on 27. July 2005
Book
Hardback
384 pages
978-0-415-36076-0 (ISBN)
Description
This fully updated and revised edition of the best-selling title The Archaeology Coursebook is a guide for students studying archaeology for the first time. Including new methods and case studies in this second edition, it provides pre-university students and teachers, as well as undergraduates and enthusiasts, with the skills and technical concepts necessary to grasp the subject.
The Archaeology Coursebook:
introduces the most commonly examined archaeological methods, concepts, and themes, and provides the necessary skills to understand them
explains how to interpret the material students may meet in examinations and how to succeed with different types of assignments and exam questions
supports study with case studies, key sites, key terms, tasks and skills development
illustrates concepts and commentary with over 200 photos and drawings of excavation sites, methodology and processes, tools and equipment
links from its own website to other key websites in archaeology at the right level at www.routledge.com/textbooks/0415360773
contains new material from European pre-history and the Roman Empire; new case studies, methods, examples, boxes, photographs and diagrams; as well as updates on examination changes for pre-university students.
This is definitely a book no archaeology student should be without.
The Archaeology Coursebook:
introduces the most commonly examined archaeological methods, concepts, and themes, and provides the necessary skills to understand them
explains how to interpret the material students may meet in examinations and how to succeed with different types of assignments and exam questions
supports study with case studies, key sites, key terms, tasks and skills development
illustrates concepts and commentary with over 200 photos and drawings of excavation sites, methodology and processes, tools and equipment
links from its own website to other key websites in archaeology at the right level at www.routledge.com/textbooks/0415360773
contains new material from European pre-history and the Roman Empire; new case studies, methods, examples, boxes, photographs and diagrams; as well as updates on examination changes for pre-university students.
This is definitely a book no archaeology student should be without.
More details
Edition
2nd New edition
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Edition type
New edition
Illustrations
100 Illustrations, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 246 mm
Width: 189 mm
Weight
998 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-415-36076-0 (9780415360760)
Copyright in bibliographic data is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or its licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Jim Grant | Sam Gorin | Neil Fleming
The Archaeology Coursebook
An Introduction to Study Skills, Topics and Methods
Book
07/2005
2nd Edition
Routledge
€44.75
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Persons
Jim Grant is a Principal Examiner in A Level Archaeology and Assistant Principal at Cirencester College. He is also a member of the subject advisory panel for archaeology at the Higher Education Academy for teaching and learning and has experience as an archaeologist in the field.
Sam Gorin is Chief Moderator for A Level Archaeology and until recently was head of general studies at Newark and Sherwood College. He has 20 years experience as a professional archaeologist.
Neil Fleming is Chief Examiner in A Level Archaeology and Upper Sixth Housemaster at Christ's Hospital school. He is a highly experienced teacher of archaeology who also has field archaeology experience.
Sam Gorin is Chief Moderator for A Level Archaeology and until recently was head of general studies at Newark and Sherwood College. He has 20 years experience as a professional archaeologist.
Neil Fleming is Chief Examiner in A Level Archaeology and Upper Sixth Housemaster at Christ's Hospital school. He is a highly experienced teacher of archaeology who also has field archaeology experience.
Content
Contents
List of figures
Index of skills
Acknowledgements
Illustration acknowledgements
INTRODUCTION
Key skill: what you have to learn to be successful
How to use this text
PART I UNDERSTANDING ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES
1 ARCHAEOLOGICAL RECONNAISSANCE
Key skill: successful note-taking
Desktop study
Historical documents
Maps
Key task: sourcing information
Surface surveys
Recording standing buildings
Fieldwalking
Geochemical prospection
Geophysical surveys
Resistivity survey
Magnetometer surveying
Key task: test your understanding of geophysics
Other methods
Key skill: comparing methods
Aerial photography
Verticals and obliques
Shadow sites
Cropmarks
Soil marks
Remote sensing
Key skill: short questions test
2 EXCAVATION
Why excavate?
Types of excavation
Research excavations
Key site: Avebury
Rescue excavations
Key site: Empingham, Rutland
Excavation strategies and the process of excavation
How to dig?
Key site: Boxgrove
Key task: testing the law of superposition
The process of excavation
Recovery of environmental material
What records do archaeologists create?
Context sheets
Plans
Section drawings
Photographs
Special cases
Archaeology of standing buildings
Wetland archaeology
Underwater archaeology
Urban archaeology
Key task: comparative study of survey and excavation methods
Key skill: tackling structured, source-based questions
After excavation
Key task: test your understanding of methods
3 POST-EXCAVATION ANALYSIS
Archaeometry
Is archaeology a science?
Visual examination
Scientific analysis of artefacts
Characterisation studies
Petrology
Spectrometry
X-ray fluorescence
Neutron activation analysis
Isotopic analysis
Analysis of particular inorganic materials
Ceramic analysis
Lithic analysis
Metallurgical analysis
Key skill: noting methods of analysis
Analysis of organic remains
Soil
Faunal remains
Human remains
Organic artefacts
Key site: The Amesbury Archer
Plants
Plant macrofossils
Plant microfossils
Key study: the decline of the Maya
Invertebrates
After analysis
Key skill: reinforcing class learning of methods
4 UNDERSTANDING DATING IN ARCHAEOLOGY
Historical dating
Relative dating
Typology
Seriation
Geoarchaeological dating
Obsidian hydration
Chemical dating of bones
Absolute or chronometric dating
Dendrochronology
Radiocarbon dating
Thermoluminescence
Potassium-argon dating
Other absolute dating techniques
Key task: test your grasp of dating methods
5 ARCHAEOLOGICAL INTERPRETATION
Transformation processes
Formation processes
Key task: understanding formation processes
Post-depositional factors
Key task: group activity on transformation processes
Recovery factors
Analysing spatial patterns
Making sense of the data
Historical accounts or documents of past societies
List of figures
Index of skills
Acknowledgements
Illustration acknowledgements
INTRODUCTION
Key skill: what you have to learn to be successful
How to use this text
PART I UNDERSTANDING ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES
1 ARCHAEOLOGICAL RECONNAISSANCE
Key skill: successful note-taking
Desktop study
Historical documents
Maps
Key task: sourcing information
Surface surveys
Recording standing buildings
Fieldwalking
Geochemical prospection
Geophysical surveys
Resistivity survey
Magnetometer surveying
Key task: test your understanding of geophysics
Other methods
Key skill: comparing methods
Aerial photography
Verticals and obliques
Shadow sites
Cropmarks
Soil marks
Remote sensing
Key skill: short questions test
2 EXCAVATION
Why excavate?
Types of excavation
Research excavations
Key site: Avebury
Rescue excavations
Key site: Empingham, Rutland
Excavation strategies and the process of excavation
How to dig?
Key site: Boxgrove
Key task: testing the law of superposition
The process of excavation
Recovery of environmental material
What records do archaeologists create?
Context sheets
Plans
Section drawings
Photographs
Special cases
Archaeology of standing buildings
Wetland archaeology
Underwater archaeology
Urban archaeology
Key task: comparative study of survey and excavation methods
Key skill: tackling structured, source-based questions
After excavation
Key task: test your understanding of methods
3 POST-EXCAVATION ANALYSIS
Archaeometry
Is archaeology a science?
Visual examination
Scientific analysis of artefacts
Characterisation studies
Petrology
Spectrometry
X-ray fluorescence
Neutron activation analysis
Isotopic analysis
Analysis of particular inorganic materials
Ceramic analysis
Lithic analysis
Metallurgical analysis
Key skill: noting methods of analysis
Analysis of organic remains
Soil
Faunal remains
Human remains
Organic artefacts
Key site: The Amesbury Archer
Plants
Plant macrofossils
Plant microfossils
Key study: the decline of the Maya
Invertebrates
After analysis
Key skill: reinforcing class learning of methods
4 UNDERSTANDING DATING IN ARCHAEOLOGY
Historical dating
Relative dating
Typology
Seriation
Geoarchaeological dating
Obsidian hydration
Chemical dating of bones
Absolute or chronometric dating
Dendrochronology
Radiocarbon dating
Thermoluminescence
Potassium-argon dating
Other absolute dating techniques
Key task: test your grasp of dating methods
5 ARCHAEOLOGICAL INTERPRETATION
Transformation processes
Formation processes
Key task: understanding formation processes
Post-depositional factors
Key task: group activity on transformation processes
Recovery factors
Analysing spatial patterns
Making sense of the data
Historical accounts or documents of past societies