Re Constructing Archaeology

InRe-Constructing Archaeology, Shanks and Tilley aim to challenge the disciplinary practices of both traditional and the `new' archaeology and to present a radical alternative - a critically self-consious archaeology aware of itself as pracitce in the present, and equally a social archaeology that appreciates artefacts not merely as ovjects of analysis but as part of a social world of past and present that is charged with meaning. It is a fresh and invigorating contribution to the emergence of a philosophically and politically informed archaeology.

A bold new method of theorizing about the prehistoric past

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Now in its third edition, Introducing Archaeology continues to be a lively and approachable textbook for introductory-level students. Covering traditional elements of archaeology, including methods and prehistory, the new edition also opens up greater conversations about the current state of archaeology, discussing issues of representation, inclusion, and diversity in the field. The authors highlight recent developments in digital and public archaeology, as well as the social and political contexts of doing archaeological fieldwork. A new prologue challenges common misconceptions about archaeology portrayed by mainstream media. The result is a book that encourages students to critically examine the present by investigating the archaeological past. The third edition features over 50 full-color images and is accompanied by updated instructor materials and student resources. For more information see www.introducingarchaeology.com.

A guide to the systematic understanding of the geoarchaeological matrix Reconstructing Archaeological Sites offers an important text that puts the focus on basic theoretical and practical aspects of depositional processes in an archaeological site. It contains an in-depth discussion on the role of stratigraphy that helps determine how deposits are organised in time and space. The authors — two experts in the field — include the information needed to help recognise depositional systems, processes and stratigraphic units that aid in the interpreting the stratigraphy and deposits of a site in the field. The book is filled with practical tools, numerous illustrative examples, drawings and photos as well as compelling descriptions that help visualise depositional processes and clarify how these build the stratigraphy of a site. Based on the authors’ years of experience, the book offers a holistic approach to the study of archaeological deposits that spans the broad fundamental aspects to the smallest details. This important guide: Offers information and principles for interpreting natural and anthropogenic sediments and physical processes in sites Provides a framework for reconstructing the history of a deposit and the site Outlines the fundamental principles of site formation processes Explores common misconceptions about what constitutes a deposit Presents a different approach for investigating archaeological stratigraphy based on sedimentary principles Written for archaeologists and geoarchaeologists at all levels of expertise as well as senior level researchers, Reconstructing Archaeological Sites offers a guide to the theory and practice of how stratigraphy is produced and how deposits can be organised in time and space.