Archaeological Books for Beginners
Archaeology the Comic:
Johannes Loubser’s "Archaeology--The Comic" is an introductory archaeology text that uses the graphic novel medium to elucidate many of the trickier technical discussions in archaeology.
The Archaeology Coursebook
Every archaeology prof I have ever met has complained about how few really useful introductory archaeological texts there are. The Archaeology Coursebook, subtitled "An Introduction to Study Skills, Topics, and Methods," is a valiant effort from Routledge.
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Prehistory
Robert Meier's introduction to paleontology for the non-professional reader is an entertaining, painless way to learn about the fascinating subject of human prehistory.
Death by Theory
There's always one "killer course" in college, no matter where in what you choose for your degree. For many, the archaeology class which is do-or-die, which is used to weed out the non-serious student, which is a tough, tough, tough course, is Archaeological Theory. Thank god for Adrian Praetzellis who has given beginning archaeological students an entertaining way to pick up the basics.
Dug to Death
Adrian Praetzellis has crafted a yakkety little murder mystery, which in reality is an entertaining exaggeration of what field work can really be like. And not a bad murder mystery, either.
The First Peoples of the Northeast
One category of introductory text is the regional archaeological study, usually published by the amateur archaeology of a state or region. The First Peoples of the Northeast from Esther K. Braun and David P. Braun, combines an introduction to archaeology and an overview of the archaeology of the northeastern US and southeastern Canada.
Iowa's Archaeological Past
A regional introductory text for the state of Iowa is a great example of the available regional studies in archaeology.
Linking to the Past
Kenneth Feder has a long distinguished history of writing great introductory texts. With Linking to the Past, he uses a web-based text to provide a searchable, enhanced and exciting text for students new to archaeology.
Lost World
In Lost World, journalist Tom Koppel describes his adventures hanging out with archaeologists investigating an intriguing topic indeed--When did the first colonization of the American continents occur?
The Past in Perspective
A comprehensive yet current overview of prehistory is absolutely essential to the teaching of archaeology at the university level. Here's one of Kenneth Feder's excellent submissions to this category, The Past in Perspective.
The Practical Archaeologist
Jane McIntosh's second edition of The Practical Archaeologist, subtitled "How we know what we know about the past," is an excellent example of the arcane art of distilling all of archaeology into an attractive, readable package.