Archaeology: A Very Short Introduction - Softcover

Bahn, Paul

3.6

594 ratings by Goodreads

9780192853257: Archaeology: A Very Short Introduction

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0192853252 ISBN 13: 9780192853257

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1996

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Why is archaeology so popular? What do archaeologists do? How does archaeology do its detective work, and what purpose does it serve? From deserts to jungles, from deep caves to mountain-tops, from pebble tools to satellite photographs, from excavation to abstract theory, archaeology interacts with nearly every other discipline in its attempts to reconstruct the past. Archaeology: A Very Short Introduction gives entertaining insight into the main concerns of archaeology today, outlining the origins and development of archaeology from an individual treasure hunt to today's massive multidisciplinary projects.

An acclaimed authority and popularizer of the subject, Paul Bahn surveys the immense technological developments, and looks at the way in which archaeology can be used, for example, to help Third World countries develop traditional agricultural methods. The growing interest in archaeology is explained by the fascinating questions which the book addresses: "How did people live?", "How did people think?", and "Why did things change?". Later chapters consider current concerns, such as the responsibilities involved in presenting the past to the public, the possibility of "loving archaeology to death," and the belief that many sites would be safest left deep beneath the earth. This very short introduction reflects the enduring popularity of archaeology, a subject which appeals as a pastime, a career and academic discipline, encompasses the whole globe, and surveys 2.5 million years.

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About the Author:

Dr. Paul Bahn is a freelance writer and broadcaster. His many publications include the acclaimed textbook Archaeology: Theories, Methods, and Practice (co-written with Colin Renfrew), Easter Island, the highly illustrated Images of the Ice Age, and the Collins Dictionary of Archaeology.

Review:

"Few introductory volumes on archaeology have covered the entire scope of the field in as lively and entertaining a fashion as this short book....It would be useful as a reader in introductory archaeology classes. Professional archaeologists should also enjoy reading this book....Interesting....Refreshing."--Charles C. Boyd, Radford University

"Superb! Just the sort of fast-paced introduction one needs to help stoke the fires of one's students' curiosity."--John J. Shea, State University of New York at Albany

"A series of acute and entertaining short essays on the subject's great themes....It is often said that well-written books are rare in archaeology, but this is a model of good writing for a general audience....Packed with information but never get[s] bogged down in too much detail....Its serious message--that archaeology can be a rich and fascinating subject--it gets across with more panache that any other book I know."--Simon Denison, Editor, British Archaeology

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