Learning Archaeology: A Problem-based Approach

Learning Archaeology is designed for undergraduate archaeology students, helping them develop interpretive skills in the classroom through problem-oriented, active learning exercises.

This book brings together case studies drawn from real archaeological research so students can understand (and wrestle with) how archaeology is practiced, the kinds of questions that can be addressed with archaeological data (and their limits), and the often contested place of the discipline in the modern world. Experts working across the globe and on a variety of topics have written chapters addressing critical archaeological issues or questions using data and examples from their own research projects. Several chapters are co-authored by experienced practitioners working outside of the academy in archaeology and heritage-related fields, including Tribal or First Nations members. Importantly, each author or group of authors situates their archaeological problem within the social and political context of their practice. With ethical and socio-political considerations woven through each chapter, the book is structured into three sections―Excavation, Analytical Methods, and Archaeology in the Contemporary World―and provides both a comprehensive view of archaeological method and an understanding of the role that archaeological knowledge has in contemporary society.

Learning Archaeology is for undergraduate archaeology students and suitable for use in introductory courses in archaeology.

A. Katherine Patton is Associate Professor, teaching stream in the Anthropology Department at the University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Danielle A. Macdonald is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology at the University of Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA.

Michael Chazan is a Professor in the Departments of Earth Science and Anthropology at the University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.