Books On Archaeology

Visit to Books on Archaeology

What is Archaeology?

Archaeology is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts,

architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes (the archaeological record). Because archaeology employs a wide range of different procedures, it can be considered to be a study of both science and humanity, and in the United States it is thought of as a branch of anthropology, although in Europe it is viewed as a separate discipline.

About Archaeology

Archaeology studies human history from the development of the first stone tools in eastern Africa 3.4 million years ago up to recent decades. It is of most importance for gaining knowledge about prehistoric societies, when there were no written records for historians to study, making up

over 99% of total human history, from the Paleolithic until the advent of literacy in any given society. Archaeology has various different goals, which range from studying human evolution to cultural evolution and understanding culture history. Archaeological guides help us to reach those prehistoric days when the civilization was born.

Visit to Books on Archaeology

Famous archaeologists:

Gertrude Bell

Kathleen Kenyon

John Camp

Sir Arthur Evans

Thomas Jefferson

Hiram Bingham

Popular archaeology books:

Archaeology: Theories, Methods and Practices by Colin Renfrew

In small things forgotten by James Deetz

A History of Archaeological thought by Bruce G, Trigger

Reading the Past by Ian Hodder and Scott Hutson

Contemporary Archaeology in Theory by Ian Hodder

Visit to Books on Archaeology

Archaeology The Science of the Human Past

Author : Mark Q. Sutton, Robert M. Yohe

ISBN : 0205572375

ISBN13 : 9780205572373

This new entry into the introductory archaeology market conveys the excitement of archaeological discovery while it explains how archaeologists think as they scientifically find, analyze, and interpret evidence. This books covers archaeological history, theory, and method comprehensively-at a reasonable level of detail-in language accessible to the reader, it presents a balanced treatment of scientific archaeology and postprocessual concerns about the interpretation of gender, ethnicity, and individuality in the archaeological record. For anyone interested in archeology!

Visit to : Archaeology The Science of the Human Past

Visit to Books on Archaeology

The Archaeology Handbook: A Field Manual and Resource Guide

Author : Bill McMillon

ISBN : 0471530514

The Law expressly for amateur Archaeologists and archaeological volunteers to help them discover how they can become part of this increasingly popular field. Covers subjects ranging from excavation techniques, tools, site locations, archaeological methods, Archaeology and the Law to conducting your own dig. Besides providing extensive data on gaining experience as volunteers of professionally organized digs, it offers an extensive resource section that includes archaeology organizations, field Schools and sites, archaeological musems and a Bibliography of reading matter which deals with archaeology. A large variety of line-drawings and photographs also assist the would-be archaeologist.

Visit to : The Archaeology Handbook

Visit to Books on Archaeology

Archaeology for Kids: Uncovering the Mysteries of Our Past, 25 Activities

Author : Richard Panchyk

ISBN : 1556523955

"Archeology for Kids: Uncovering the Mysteries of Our Past" is intended to foster a curiosity about this particular science in budding archeologists. Richard Panchyk begins with a Time Line that starts in 65 million B.C. when the last dinosaurs died out and ends in 1997 when a new Egyptian burial ground was found, containing almost 10,000 mummies.

Actually it is not the end of the dinosaurs but the first Ramapithecus, Australopithecus and other human ancestors that matter more because this time focus on not only key historic events such as the end of Roman Empire and the American Civil War, but key events in the field of archeology, such as when Schliemann began searching for the city of Troy and the Australopithecus remains of "Lucy" being found. This will give teachers an idea of where (and when) this book can be helpful in teaching about the past to today's students. Then there are the more than 25 activities that will help those young students understand archeology and the ancient cultures that have been uncovered.

Visit to : Archaeology for Kids

Visit to Books on Archaeology

Archaeology A Very Short Introduction

Author : Bill Tidy, Paul Bahn

ISBN : 0192853791

ISBN13 : 9780192853790

In the Preface to this excellent little book, the author says his intention is to give the reader a taste of the subject and to help students decide if they want to study archeology at University. It performs those tasks admirably. It quite rightly provides a very broad overview rather than going deeply into specific topics, but manages to cram in loads of interesting facts along the way. The tone is jocular, and sometimes the humor is rather forced ("Relative dating does not mean going out with your cousin") but for the most part it works, and Bill Tidy's cartoons are well up to standard.

Bahn is pretty harsh with some modern archeological notions, and objectivity toward his peers is clearly not a priority with him, but I don't think this seriously distorts what he has to say.

The very title betrays the fact that this is a British publication with British usage and spellings, but I did not spot anything that would cause a problem for an American reader.

I do not know of a better short introduction to the subject than this book. Following this, you might want to read Egyptology, another excellent entry in the same series.

Visit to : Archaeology A Very Short Introduction

Visit to Books on Archaeology

Digging Through the Bible: Modern Archaeology and the Ancient Bible

Author : Richard Freund

ISBN : 0742546454

Many of our religious beliefs are based upon faith alone, but archaeology gives us the opportunity to find evidence about what really happened in the past-evidence that can have a dramatic impact on what we believe and how we understand the Bible today. Archaeologist and rabbi Richard Freund takes readers through many of his own excavations in the Holy Land, searching for information about key biblical characters and events.

Visit to : Modern Archaeology and the Ancient Bible

Visit to Books on Archaeology

Ten Discoveries That Rewrote History

Author : Patrick Hunt

ISBN : 0452288770

ISBN13 : 9780452288775

"The world’s greatest archaeological finds and what they tell us about lost civilizations"

Renowned archaeologist Patrick Hunt brings his top ten list of ancient archaeological discoveries to life in this concise and captivating book. The Rosetta Stone, Troy, Nivenah’s Assyrian Library, King Tut’s Tomb, Machu Picchu, Pompeii, the Dead Sea Scrolls, Thera, Olduvai Gorge, and the Tomb of 10,000 Warriors—Hunt reveals the fascinating stories of these amazing discoveries and explains the ways in which they added to our knowledge of human history and permanently altered our worldview. Part travel guide to the wonders of the world and part primer on ancient world history, Ten Discoveries That Rewrote History captures the awe and excitement of finding a lost window into ancient civilization.

Visit to : Ten Discoveries That Rewrote History

Visit to Books on Archaeology

The Archaeology of Early Egypt Social Transformation in North-East Africa, c. 10,000 to 2,650 BC

Author : David Wengrow

ISBN : 0521543746

ISBN13 : 9780521543743

In this authoritative survey of the archaeology of early Egypt, David Wengrow offers a new interpretation of the emergence of farming economies and the dynastic state, c.10,000 to 2,650 BC. Exploring key themes such as the nature of state power, kingship and the inception of writing, Wengrow illuminates prehistoric social development along the Nile through comparison with neighboring regions. Employing rich empirical data and engaging critically with anthropological theory and the history of archaeological thought, Wengrow's work challenges the current theoretical isolation of Egyptian prehistory.

Visit to : The Archaeology of Early Egypt

Visit to Books on Archaeology