The Scientific Study Of Flint And Chert

The thirty papers in this 1986 volume review the scientific knowledge of the nature of flint and chert at this time. These papers were presented at a 1983 interdisciplinary and international conference on flint and other cherts. Each contribution has been meticulously assessed and edited prior to publication. This collection is principally concerned with the geology and geochemistry of flint in European chert. Topics include the origin of flint; scanning electron microscopy of surface textures; and the behaviour of flint under periglacial conditions. There is a companion volume, edited by G. de G. Sieveking and M. B. Hart, on the archaeological uses of flint.

The thirty papers in this 1986 volume review the scientific knowledge of the nature of flint and chert at this time. These papers were presented at a 1983 interdisciplinary and international conference on flint and other cherts. Each contribution has been meticulously assessed and edited prior to publication. This collection is principally concerned with the geology and geochemistry of flint in European chert. Topics include the origin of flint; scanning electron microscopy of surface textures; and the behaviour of flint under periglacial conditions. There is a companion volume, edited by G. de G. Sieveking and M. B. Hart, on the archaeological uses of flint.

This 1987 volume presents thirty papers on the archaeological uses of flint. They were presented at the Fourth International Flint Symposium in 1983, and together they give an interdisciplinary review. For publication by Cambridge, each paper has been carefully edited. The topics include: flint technology, particularly the experimental reconstruction of the manufacturing process; wear traces on flint implements; the mining and quarrying of flint in prehistory; and models for chert exchanges. The companion volume, The Scientific Study of Flint and Chert, is edited by G. de G. Sieveking and M. B. Hart.

The Science and Archaeology of Materials is set to become the definitive work in the archaeology of materials. Henderson's highly illustrated work is an accessible and fascinating textbook which will be essential reading for all practical archaeologists. With clear sections on a wide range of materials including ceramics, glass, metals and stone, this work examines the very foundations of archaeological study. Anyone interested in ancient technologies, especially those involving high temperatures, kilns and furnaces will be able to follow in each chapter how raw materials are refined, transformed and shaped into objects. This description is then followed by appropriate case studies which provide a new chronological and geographical example of how scientific and archaeological aspects can and do interact. They include: *Roman pale green and highly decorated glass *17th Century glass in Britain and Europe *the effect of the introduction of the wheel on pottery technology *the technology of Celadon ceramics *early copper metallurgy in the Middle East *chemical analysis and lead isotope analysis of British Bronzes *early copper alloy metallurgy in Thailand *the chemical analysis of obsidian and its distribution *the origins of the Stonehenge bluestones This book shows how archaeology and science intersect and fe ed off each other. Modern scientific techniques have provided data which, when set within a fully integrated archaeological context, have the potential of contributing to mainstream archaeology. This holistic approach generates a range of connections which benefits both areas and will enrich archaeological study in the future.

These twenty papers dedicated to Mike Tite focus upon the interpretation of ancient artefacts and technologies, particularly through the application of materials analysis. Instruments from the human eye to mass spectrometry provide insights into a range of technologies ranging from classical alum extraction to Bronze Age wall painting, and cover materials as diverse as niello, flint, bronze, glass and ceramic. Ranging chronologically from the Neolithic through to the medieval period, and geographically from Britain to China, these case studies provide a rare overview which will be of value to students, teachers and researchers with an interest in early material culture.

This collection aims to refocus archaeological and anthropological interest in technology.

Dennis Curry was a remarkable polymath and philanthropist, leading a double-life as one of the UK's most gifted amateur geologists, whilst at the same time being an extremely successful businessman (as Managing Director of Currys Ltd). This Festschrift, authored by friends and specialists from Britain and France, pays tribute to his often seminal research as well as exhibiting the wide range of his geological interest. It contains 12 chapters and covers several differing aspects of micropalaeontology (pteropods, diatoms and especially foraminifera), Strontium Isotope Stratigraphy, Hampshire Basin stratigraphy and palaeogeography, as well as major contributions on English Channel sedimentology and the great faunal turnover affecting mammals at the Eocene-Oligocene boundary. A scientific appreciation of Dennis Curry, "the professional amateur", with recollections of former colleagues at University College, London (where he was Visiting Professor), together with an assessment of the valuable collections he established and donated to The Natural History Museum, are also included. Copiously illustrated, this book is a must for all geologists.