Quantifying Archaeology - Softcover

Shennan, Stephen

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0852244738 ISBN 13: 9780852244739

Publisher: Edinburgh Univ Pr, 1988

Synopsis

Quantitative reasoning is central to archaeology: quantitative methods are a vital part of every archaeologist's mental tool kit. This new edition of Stephen Shennan's extremely popular textbook introduces students to the basic quantitative methods used within the discipline as well as some of the more advanced methods.
Shennan explains the relevant areas of statistics in terms easily assimilated by archaeology students; instead of introducing statistics as it is taught in other disciplines, he draws his working examples from archaeological sources. Exercises at the end of each chapter also directly relate to issues likely to arise within the study of archaeology.

About this title

From the Back Cover

Reconstructing and exploring the past through archaeological evidence is not an easy or trivial task, and an absolute prerequisite for progress is the recognition of patterns in archaeological data. Rarely are these immediately apparent in the masses of material which archaeologists uncover. Quantitative methods of data analysis provide an indispensible means of detecting such patterning in a systematic and organised fashion.
This book introduces archaeologists to the most important quantitative methods, from the initial description of archaeological data to techniques of multivariate analysis. These are presented in the context of familiar problems in archaeological practice, an approach designed to illustrate their relevance and to overcome the fear of mathematics from which archaeologists often suffer.
The book arises from courses which the author has given over a number of years from first-year to Master's level. Through worked examples it will help students understand how archaeological problems can be posed in quantitative terms; how to use basic quantitative methods to analyse archaeological data and how to realise when advise from experts is needed to solve specific complex problems.
Dr. Stephen Shennan is a lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Southampton, where he has taught this subject to first-year students for several years.

About the Author

Dr. Stephen Shennan is a lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Southampton, where he has taught this subject to first-year students for several years.

Edition details

• Publisher: Edinburgh Univ Pr
• Publication date: 1988
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0852244738
• ISBN 13: 9780852244739
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 364