Archaeological science, methodology and techniques Books

Book SynopsisThe modern manifestation of mummy studies began to take shape in the 1970s and has experienced significant growth during the last several decades, largely due to biomedical interest in soft tissue pathology. Although this points to a vibrant field, there are indications that we need to take stock of where it is today and how it may develop in the future, and this volume responds to those demands. In many ways, mummy studies and skeletal bioarchaeology are "sister-disciplines," sharing data sources, methodologies, and practitioners. Given these close connections, this book considers whether paradigmatic shifts that influenced the development of the latter also impacted the former. Whilst there are many available books discussing mummy research, most recent field-wide reviews adopt a biomedical perspective to explore a particular mummy or collection of mummies. The Bioarchaeology of Mummies is a unique attempt at a synthetic, state-of-the-field critical analysis which considers the field from an explicitly anthropological perspective.This book is written for both skeletal bioarcheologists that may not be familiar with the scope of mummy research, and mummy researchers from biomedical fields that may not be as acquainted with current research trends within bioarchaeology.Trade ReviewBuilding upon the excellent biomedical baseline established by Drs. Arthur Aufderheide, Aidan Cockburn, Mike Zimmermann and colleagues, this volume adds a contextual, bioarchaeological perspective to mummy science. By considering theoretical perspectives on the body, along with ancient mummified bodies themselves, Nystrom presents a global stock-taking, as he also points to new and exciting future directions. This volume is a "must-read" for all specialists and non-specialist alike who wish a contemporary statement about these fascinating remnants of humankind’s past.Jane Buikstra, Arizona State University, USAWhat a great resource this will be to bioarchaeology students and researchers alike! This is the only book of its kind. It integrates studies of mummified human remains with bioarcheological approaches in a seamless and convincing manner. Prior to this book, research using mummies has had its own separate trajectory. However, the creative use of many case studies and examples in this book provides a compelling call for continuing the integration of mummy studies into broader anthropological approaches. What is most unique in this history and review of mummy studies is the number of innovative ways that social theory, new methodologies and important questions are provided as examples for how to take mummy studies into new areas of research, and the importance of doing so. Debra L. Martin, University of Nevada/Las Vegas, USATable of ContentsContentsList of FiguresList of TablesPrefaceAcknowledgmentsIntroduction Chapter 1 Mummies: Definition and MechanismsChapter 2 History of Bioarchaeology and Mummy StudiesChapter 3 Publication Trends and Content AnalysisChapter 4 Mummy Studies and Social TheoryChapter 5 Methods in Mummy ResearchChapter 6 Mummy Studies and BioarchaeologyAppendix IBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisThis English translation of a work previously published inRussian (Geoarkheologiya i radiouglerodnaya khronologiyakamennogo veka Severo Vostochnoi Azii, St. Petersburg:Nauka, 2010) presents an overview of the Paleolithicarchaeology of Northeast Asia, with emphasis ongeoarchaeological and radiocarbon-based chronology.Although archaeological investigations above the ArcticCircle began more than two hundred years ago, accessto and publication of findings has been difficult. InGeoarchaeology and Radiocarbon Chronology of Stone AgeNortheast Asia, veteran researchers Vladimir V. Pitul’koand Elena Yu. Pavlova have gathered and analyzed theavailable data to provide comprehensive documentationof human occupation of continental territories far abovethe Arctic Circle in the late Neopleistocene (also known asthe Late Pleistocene era). By using uncalibrated radiocarbondating, Pitul’ko and Pavlova have been able to establish reliablecorrelations between the artifacts and phenomena being studied.The increased number of radiocarbon age determinations forthese Arctic sites is the most important data to come from thelatest studies of Northeast Asia, offering a significant opportunityfor re-evaluation of older materials in light of these new findings.The authors include reporting on recent work performed at two of the most important sites in the region: the “mammoth cemetery”site at Berelekh and the Yana Rhinoceros Horn Site.

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Book SynopsisHere are poems spanning more than forty years: poems about love, sex, death, sacrifice -- basic themes of poetry. Many of these poems employ rhyme schemes, others are in free verse, but they are all interesting, compelling, containing the kinds of conceits that will appeal both to traditionalists and modernists. A poet once said that "...the poem's conceit is more vital than its vehicle."If you like accessible, yet many-layered verse, you will find this book of poetry most gratifying.

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Book Synopsis A century ago, the Old Vero Site was brought to prominence by Elias Sellards upon his claim that the site contained early human remains associated with Pleistocene fauna. It was the first serious challenge to the belief, widely accepted until the Folsom discoveries in 1926, that humans had not entered Florida before the current Holocene geological epoch. The claim that human remains at the site were contemporary with late Ice Age animals stirred enduring controversy. Recent construction near the site resulted in new archaeological work being completed from 2014 to 2017.The Old Vero Site (8IR009) details the course of the recent re-excavations of the Old Vero Site while also summarizing the original excavations from a century ago. Additionally, the volume lays out the sequence and results of the recent project, using these new data to assess the accuracy of Sellards’s assertions. This re-examination determined that Sellards’s claims are not supported by the evidence. Adovasio, Hemmings, and Vento provide the data to settle the matter definitively: human remains at the site were intrusive from a later time horizon, as critics of the original work had vociferously argued. Trade ReviewWith contributions by an eminent group of natural scientists, archaeologists, and others, this volume examines the Old Vero site, which was first excavated in the early 1900s and has since become integral to understanding scholarly debates on early people in the Western Hemisphere. It is thus an ideal location for exploring theories and databases about the role of these types of sites in early American life." —Tom Dillehay, Vanderbilt UniversityTable of Contents List of Figures List of Tables Acknowledgments 1. Introduction 2. General Setting 3. History of Research 4. Environmental Setting by A. J. Vega 5. Research Design and Excavation Methodology 6. Field Results 7. Material Culture and Ecological Remains 8. Conclusions Afterword Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Appendix D Appendix E Appendix F Appendix G Appendix H References List of Contributors

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Book SynopsisThe Alhambra is one of the most famous archaeological sites worldwide, yet knowledge of it remains very partial, focussing on the medieval palaces. This book addresses that imbalance, examining the adjacent urban and industrial zone. The Alhambra is one of the most famous archaeological sites worldwide, yet knowledge of the complex remains very partial, focussing on its medieval Nasrid palaces. Other aspects of the site are virtually unknown, not only to the general public but to archaeologists and historians as well. The Royal Workshops of the Almambra addresses this imbalance, examining the urban and industrial zone adjacent to the palaces. Once the most densely populated and extensive area of the complex, this zone, the Secano, contained houses, tanneries, and workshops including a considerable number of pyrotechnological facilities for the production of metal, glass and ceramic items. Presenting the results of the Royal Workshops of the Alhambra (UNESCO World Heritage Site) project, the book gives a much-needed insight into the industrial sector of the Alhambra. Crucially, the project focusses on the early modern era, when the manufacture of ceramic, glass and metal actually reached their peak. The opening chapters set the archaeological work and the Secano in context and discuss the methodology for archaeological investigation of pyrotechnological activity; while further chapters present the results of the research. Drawing on both traditional and ground-breaking survey and excavation techniques, the book provides an invaluable wide-lens picture of the palatial city.Table of ContentsList of Illustrations List of Contributors Foreword. Jesús Bermúdez López Introduction. Alberto García Porras & Chloë N. Duckworth Chapter 1. The Secano: the city of the Alhambra. María del Carmen Jiménez Roldán Chapter 2. A holistic and reflexive methodology for the archaeological investigation of pyrotechnological activity in the Alhambra. David J. Govantes-Edwards, Alberto García Porras, Chloë N. Duckworth & Eleonora Montanari Chapter 3. The modern kilns. José Manuel Ríos Jiménez & Miguel Busto Zapico Chapter 4. Geophysical and geochemical exploration of the industrial areas in the Alhambra. Kate Welham, Derek Pitman, Hayden Scott-Pratt, Josie Hagan, Chris Casswell, Ashley Green, Chloë N. Duckworth & Eleonora Montanari Chapter 5. The excavation of the area of the Secano in the Alhambra: Trench 1. Moisés Alonso Valladares & Alberto García Porras Chapter 6. The excavation of the area of the Secano in the Alhambra: Trench 2. Ben Moore & Eleonora Montanari Chapter 7. The pottery. Laura Martín Ramos, María José Peregrina Sánchez & Saúl Guerrero Rivero Chapter 8. Glass in the excavation of the Secano, the Alhambra. Almudena Velo Gala, Chloë N. Duckworth & David J. Govantes-Edwards Chapter 9. Furnaces at full blast: the demand for architectural ceramics for construction in the Alhambra (16th and 17th centuries). María Elena Díez Jorge Conclusions. Contributors

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Book SynopsisMummies are not just a phenomenon of ancient Egypt. Mummified corpses have also been discovered high in the mountains and the deserts of South America, in the ice of Greenland, in European churches and graves, in North European swamps and in Asia. The oldest mummies are nearly 9,000 years old while some of the most recent mummies include Lenin and Evita Peron. The distinguished mummy-researcher Albert Zink explains the different processes that conserve the human bodies in either a natural or artificial way. Zink guides the reader to the find spots of famous mummies like Otzi or Tutankhamen. He also presents lesser known mummies such as Juanita or Lady Dai, making his book an extensive reference work on the subject.

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Book SynopsisThis dictionary translates over 2,000 words and terms associated with archaeological excavations into eight languages - English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Greek, Turkish and Arabic - making it an essential tool for anyone digging abroad. It contains all necessary terms for the archaeological excavation and survey of sites of any period.

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Book Synopsis This unique workbook provides the opportunity for students to complete a variety of labs using items found on hand. It is perfectly suited for teaching beyond the traditional classroom, in remote learning environments and with large class sizes. From creating complex stratigraphy with piles of clothes, to illustrating optimal forging theory with nothing more than a handful of coins, as well as activities based on writing, drawing, and provided cutout sheets, there are many ways to use this book for online 'at home' lab classes. Today, many general-education archaeology courses are large, lecture-style class formats that present a challenge to providing students, particularly non-majors, with opportunities to learn experientially. This laboratory-style manual compiles a wide variety of uniquely designed, hands-on classroom activities to acquaint advanced high school and introductory college students to the field of archaeology. Ranging in length from five to thirty minutes, activities created by archaeologists are designed to break up traditional classroom lectures, engage students of all learning styles, and easily integrate into large classes and/or short class periods that do not easily accommodate traditional laboratory work.Table of Contents List of Figures and Tables Acknowledgments Introduction Module 1: Frameworks for Exploring Anthropological Archaeology Chapter 1. The Scientific Method (TSM) Cube Chapter 2. Cultural Bingo Chapter 3. Eclectic Challenge Chapter 4. A Symbol Worth a Thousand Words Chapter 5. Candle Symbolism Module 2: Attributing Meaning to Artifacts and Formation of the Archaeological Record Chapter 6. Archaeological Chaos Chapter 7. Name That Thingamajig Chapter 8. Button Classification Chapter 9. The (Site) Matrix Chapter 10. Body Mapping Module 3: Frameworks for Measuring Time Chapter 11. Human Stratigraphy Chapter 12. Time Lines Chapter 13. Childhood Battleship Curves Chapter 14. Stirrup Bottle Seriation Chapter 15. Tree-Ring Matching Chapter 16. “Smarties” Metric Dating Module 4: Exploring Archaeological Specialties Chapter 17. Flaky Archaeology: Lithic Analysis Chapter 18. Pots and People: Ceramic Analysis Chapter 19. What’s for Dinner? Faunal Analysis Chapter 20. What’s for Dinner? Botanical Analysis Chapter 21. “Bone”-afide Archaeology: Mortuary Analysis Module 5: Interpretation and Explanation in Archaeology Chapter 22. Campus Garbology: Processual Archaeology Chapter 23. Bringing Home the Bacon: Post-processual Archaeology Chapter 24. Lend Me Your Hand: Post-processual Archaeology Chapter 25. Optimally Foraged Money: Behavioral Ecology Chapter 26. Tree of Life: Human Ecology Chapter 27. Can You Spare a Penny? Economic Anthropology Chapter 28. Can You Dough It? Linguistic Anthropology Module 6: Archaeological Ethics and Stewardship Chapter 29. Draw an Archaeologist Test Chapter 30. Archaeopolitics: Who Owns the Past? Chapter 31. Common Ground: Glacial Archaeology, Ethics, and Climate Change Chapter 32. To List or Not to List…? Chapter 33. The Ethical Archaeologist Index

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Book Synopsis The use of computation in archaeology is a kind of magic, a way of heightening the archaeological imagination. Agent-based modelling allows archaeologists to test the ‘just-so’ stories they tell about the past. It requires a formalization of the story so that it can be represented as a simulation; researchers are then able to explore the unintended consequences or emergent outcomes of stories about the past. Agent-based models are one end of a spectrum that, at the opposite side, ends with video games. This volume explores this spectrum in the context of Roman archaeology, addressing the strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities of a formalized approach to computation and archaeogaming.Trade Review “I urge you not to dismiss this book as a niche or specialist treatise. While Graham may at times use a technical term or make a reference that is missed by the nondigital archaeologist, the overall message comes through clearly. Graham presents a strong case that active, playful, and enchanting approaches are good for archaeology. And while I assume that he would not expect everyone to be enchanted by the same methods or tools, his general approach to engagement with the past is one that can be applied to all aspects of archaeology.” • American Journal of Archaeology “The aim and personable, essayistic, almost diary-style kind of writing is simultaneously avant-garde (for academic works) and fitting for our (post-)digital times and the digital field it covers. This combination is what makes it a very worthwhile and refreshing read.” • Angus Mol, Leiden University Centre for Digital Humanities “Many readers of this book…will find in this book inspiration and encouragement to pursue those ideas they previously discarded as wacky, frivolous or “not academic”; they are allowed to play, fail and be enchanted. There is huge value in this message.” • Tom Brughmans, University of BarcelonaTable of Contents List of Tables Acknowledgements Introduction Chapter 1. Imagine a Network Chapter 2. Reanimating Networks Chapter 3. Add Agents and Stir Chapter 4. Archaeogaming Chapter 5. The Fun Is in the Building Chapter 6. Artificial Intelligence Conclusion: Enchantment is Remembering Afterword: Guidelines for Developing Your Own Digital Archaeology Appendices Appendix A: Tasks for Golems – Building an ABM Appendix B: Pot Trade Model Code Appendix C: Information Diffusion on a Network Appendix D: Golems in the City References Index

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Book Synopsis The use of computation in archaeology is a kind of magic, a way of heightening the archaeological imagination. Agent-based modelling allows archaeologists to test the ‘just-so’ stories they tell about the past. It requires a formalization of the story so that it can be represented as a simulation; researchers are then able to explore the unintended consequences or emergent outcomes of stories about the past. Agent-based models are one end of a spectrum that, at the opposite side, ends with video games. This volume explores this spectrum in the context of Roman archaeology, addressing the strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities of a formalized approach to computation and archaeogaming.Trade Review “I urge you not to dismiss this book as a niche or specialist treatise. While Graham may at times use a technical term or make a reference that is missed by the nondigital archaeologist, the overall message comes through clearly. Graham presents a strong case that active, playful, and enchanting approaches are good for archaeology. And while I assume that he would not expect everyone to be enchanted by the same methods or tools, his general approach to engagement with the past is one that can be applied to all aspects of archaeology.” • American Journal of Archaeology “The aim and personable, essayistic, almost diary-style kind of writing is simultaneously avant-garde (for academic works) and fitting for our (post-)digital times and the digital field it covers. This combination is what makes it a very worthwhile and refreshing read.” • Angus Mol, Leiden University Centre for Digital Humanities “Many readers of this book…will find in this book inspiration and encouragement to pursue those ideas they previously discarded as wacky, frivolous or “not academic”; they are allowed to play, fail and be enchanted. There is huge value in this message.” • Tom Brughmans, University of BarcelonaTable of Contents List of Tables Acknowledgements Introduction Chapter 1. Imagine a Network Chapter 2. Reanimating Networks Chapter 3. Add Agents and Stir Chapter 4. Archaeogaming Chapter 5. The Fun Is in the Building Chapter 6. Artificial Intelligence Conclusion: Enchantment is Remembering Afterword: Guidelines for Developing Your Own Digital Archaeology Appendices Appendix A: Tasks for Golems – Building an ABM Appendix B: Pot Trade Model Code Appendix C: Information Diffusion on a Network Appendix D: Golems in the City References Index

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