Actual Archaeology

Archaeology has, on the whole, tended to dominate the development of public policies and practices applicable to what is often referred to as “heritage”. This book aims to examine the conflation of heritage with archaeology that has occurred as a result. To do so, it asks whether archaeology can usefully contribute to critical understandings of heritage, which, the volume contends, must consider heritage both in terms of what it is and the cultural, social and political work it does in contemporary societies. Archaeologists have been very successful in protecting what they perceive to be their database—a success that owes much to the development and maintenance of a suite of heritage management practices that work to legitimize their privileged access to, and control of, that database. However, is archaeological data actually heritage? Moreover, does archaeological knowledge offer a meaningful reflection of “the historic environment”, in terms of the uses, values and associations it carries for the various and different communities or publics that engage with that environment/heritage? The volume brings together academic and field archaeologists, academics from heritage studies and community activists from the UK and Europe more generally to debate these issues.

The dig is the face of archaeology most immediately recognised by the public. Yet there is more to working in the field than digging. This survey explores each stage of the process, from discovery and excavation to the published archaeological report.

Useful and instructive papers advocating the value of practical considerations in the field, addressing common problems from the real world of archaeology and proposing real solutions that have proven successful through trial and error. Includes papers on the chemical reduction of clay matrices, methods of establishing precise provenience in archaeological excavations, surface collecting with the aid of transits, simplified mapping techniques, the use of X rays in artifact analysis, archaeological surveying from muleback, choosing and maintaining an archaeological field vehicle, and the use of small boats in archaeological investigations.

This unique collection of thirteen fictional problems, particularly useful at the undergraduate level and geared to a semester's length, offers the teacher of archaeology an invaluable means of supplementing courses dealing largely in theory with practical exercises in archaeological problem-solving. The captivating, often witty problems are directed not to the discovery of one correct answer but to the encouragement of intelligent inquiry and analysis.

Whether it’s Tomb Raider or Roman coins, the conventional view of archaeology as a discipline solely preoccupied with long dead cultures is misleading. In fact, archaeology is better described as a mode of thought – one by which we can better understand our past, present and future. Indeed, by studying artefacts of past human activity, we can even learn to better tackle great contemporary challenges like high population density and climate change. Spanning the globe and centuries – from Mesolithic burials in Sweden to modern landfill sites in Arizona – Joe Flatman shows how to view the world with an archaeologist’s insight. What does a discarded food packet reveal about contemporary consumption patterns? How can infrared satellite imagery tell archaeologists where to undertake expensive excavation projects? What can archaeology reveal about the beginnings of the human race? Replete with textboxes highlighting key case studies from the history of the subject, and containing invaluable diagrams and photos illustrating the reality of being an archaeologist, this is the essential primer to reading landscapes, objects, and places.

Sacred place, temple, garden of heaven, ritual area or none of them... is it possible for Gobekli Tepe to tell the story of the dawn of civilization? According to recent research, Gobekli Tepe is an important keystone for us during an important phase of civilization."

First reference work to explore the research on gender in archaeology.

Communicating archaeological heritage at the institutional level reflects on the current status of archeology, and a lack of communication between archaeologists and the general public only serves to widen the gap of understanding. As holders of this specific scientific expertise, effective openness and communication is essential to understanding how a durable future can be built through comprehension of the past and the importance of heritage sites and collections. Developing Effective Communication Skills in Archaeology is an essential research publication that examines archeology as a method for present researchers to interact and communicate with the past, and as a methods for identifying the overall trends in the needs of humanity as a whole. Presenting a vast range of topics such as digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and heritage awareness, this book is essential for archaeologists, journalists, heritage managers, sociologists, educators, anthropologists, museum curators, historians, communication specialists, industry professionals, researchers, academicians, and students.