Archaeological Science: An Introduction

This book provides an up to date introduction to the exciting, but complex, new scientific methodologies that are increasingly used in archaeological study. Written by an international team of specialists, it provides clear and engaging overviews of a wide array of approaches, including DNA and proteomics, dating methods, materials analysis, stable isotope analysis, and the scientific study of human, plant, and animal remains, among other topics. Each technique is explored through the use of actual archaeological examples, which both explain the methods and highlight their potential applications. The work is carefully illustrated with useful charts, graphs and other images, which complement the detail in the text, and help to articulate the case studies explored  as well as the underlying principles of the techniques involved. Feature tables in many of the chapters highlight selected research on each topic, providing useful summaries of the current state and scope of the field for the reader. This volume will serve as a handy reference tool for scholars, as well as a key textbook for courses on archaeological science.

Michael Richards is an archaeological scientist who applies methods such as isotopic analysis to determine past human and animal diets and adaptations. He is a professor of Archaeology and Canada Research Chair in Archaeological Science at the Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University, British Columbia and is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. He has published over 250 research papers, in the journals such as Nature, Science, and PNAS.

Kate Britton is a Senior Lecturer in Archaeological Science at the University of Aberdeen and an Associate Research Scientist at the Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, and is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. An archaeological scientist, she studies the relationship between life-time behaviours, diets and movements, and the stable isotope chemistry of body tissues.