"Economic Archaeology"

Definition: A subdiscipline of archaeology or maybe just a byproduct (bad pun intended), economic archaeology is the study of how people control their economic resources, most particularly but not entirely, their food supply. The discipline became a major part of archaeology during the 1970s under the influence of Eric S. Higgs in the UK, who brought together researchers in biology, zoology, anthropology, geography, and genetics to study plant and animal use in history and prehistory.

This glossary entry is part of the Dictionary of Archaeology. Sources for the term include the references listed on the front page of the Dictionary, and the websites listed in the sidebar. Any mistakes are the responsibility of Kris Hirst.