Jim Grant. Sam Goren, and Neil Fleming. 2002. The Archaeology Coursebook: An introduction to study skills, topics and methods. Routledge, London. 304 pages, an appendix, a glossary, bibliography and index.
Every archaeology professor I have ever met has complained about how few really useful introductory archaeological texts there are. These academics complain that they cannot find a text that discusses not just field and lab methods, but the reasons for the methods, how those methods intertwine to make a coherent whole, and how to make inferences from them. This is, no doubt about it, a lot to ask from a book. The Archaeology Coursebook, subtitled "An Introduction to Study Skills, Topics, and Methods," is a valiant new effort from Routledge.
The book is specifically written for archaeology in the United Kingdom, a point which is primarily expressed in the chapter on archaeological reconnaissance, including specific details on where to complete historical research, and in the preparation for the examinations. I believe, however, that the techniques and examples are perfectly transferable to anywhere on the globe. My favorite bit is something I've never seen in an introductory text book: social archaeology. The authors take special care to introduce archaeology beyond its earthen limits.
The book is specifically written for archaeology in the United Kingdom, a point which is primarily expressed in the chapter on archaeological reconnaissance, including specific details on where to complete historical research, and in the preparation for the examinations. I believe, however, that the techniques and examples are perfectly transferable to anywhere on the globe. My favorite bit is something I've never seen in an introductory text book: social archaeology. The authors take special care to introduce archaeology beyond its earthen limits.
The book is broken into three parts, including "Understanding archaeological resources," "Studying themes in archaeology," and "Examination success and beyond."
Liberally assisted with additional resources for investigation--both Internet and standard text--the Archaeology Coursebook is a welcome addition to available teaching guides. If you don't use it as a text, you will use it as a resource for teaching.
Liberally assisted with additional resources for investigation--both Internet and standard text--the Archaeology Coursebook is a welcome addition to available teaching guides. If you don't use it as a text, you will use it as a resource for teaching.
