Archaeological Illustration

This volume, originally published in 1989, is intended as a practical guide to archaeological illustration, from drawing finds in the field to technical studio drawing for publication. It is also an invaluable reference tool for the interpretation of illustrations and their status as archaeological evidence. The book's ten chapters start from first principles and guide the illustrator through the historical development of archaeological illustration and basic skills. Each chapter then deals with a different illustrative technique - drawing in the field during survey work and excavation, drawing artefacts, buildings and reconstructions, producing artwork for publication and the early uses of computer graphics. Information about appropriate equipment, as well as a guide to manufacturers, is also supplied. An obvious and important feature of Archaeological Illustration is the 120 line drawings and half-tones which show the right - and the wrong - way of producing drawings. This volume will therefore be of interest to amateur and professional archaeologists alike.

Volume based on the papers presented at the symposium "Past Presented: A Symposium on the History of Archaeological Illustration" held at the Dumbarton Oaks Research Library annd Collection, WAshinton D.C. on October 9-10, 2009

This handbook is aimed at students and others who wish to learn the techniques of artefact illustration, regardless of ability or previous experience. It includes comprehensive advice on many aspects of archaeological artefact illustration from equipment and materials to the preparation of finished artwork for printing. This profusely illustrated volume treats the various techniques to overcome the difficulties of translating three-dimensional objects into two-dimensional illustrations.

This handbook is primarily designed to raise standards and is intended for students and for those working in archaeological illustration. It is a showpiece of some fine illustrators, working in quite different ways. Drawings of objects, made from different materials are shown at their original drawn size as well as at their subsequent, reduced, published scale, so that the techniques used by the draftsman can be clearly seen and appreciated. Objects are described, sometimes by specialists and each drawing method has been written by the illustrators themselves, who share their methods here; giving step-by-step guides to how the illustrations were put together.

This volume contains thirteen papers which demonstrate the usefulness of 2D and 3D digital modelling in archaeology, which as the title states goes well beyond simply producing illustrative site maps, but can be used as a creative form of experimental archaeology.

Archaeological Drawing Techniques

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.

This second edition of the classic textbook, The Archaeologist’s Laboratory, is a substantially revised work that offers updated information on the archaeological work that follows fieldwork, such as the processing and analysis of artifacts and other evidence. An overarching theme of this edition is the quality and validity of archaeological arguments and the data we use to support them. The book introduces many of the laboratory activities that archaeologists carry out and the ways we can present research results, including graphs and artifact illustrations. Part I introduces general topics concerning measurement error, data quality, research design, typology, probability and databases. It also includes data presentation, basic artifact conservation, and laboratory safety. Part II offers brief surveys of the analysis of lithics and ground stone, pottery, metal artifacts, bone and shell artifacts, animal and plant remains, and sediments, as well as dating by stratigraphy, seriation and chronometric methods. It concludes with a chapter on archaeological illustration and publication. A new feature of the book is illustration of concepts through case studies from around the world and from the Palaeolithic to historical archaeology.The text is appropriate for senior undergraduate students and will also serve as a useful reference for graduate students and professional archaeologists.