Archaeology. Theories, Methods and Practice is a comprehensive introduction to the study of archaeology, covering the theories, techniques and practical methods used to investigate and interpret the human past. The book explains how archaeological sites are discovered, surveyed and excavated and how artefacts, environmental evidence, human remains and other material traces are analysed and dated. It discusses major approaches to archaeological interpretation alongside subjects such as fieldwork, stratigraphy, scientific dating, settlement and landscape archaeology, environmental archaeology, experimental archaeology, conservation and the management of cultural heritage. Richly illustrated with photographs, drawings, maps, diagrams and case studies from archaeological sites around the world, the volume connects archaeological theory with practical research. Designed both as an introductory university textbook and a broad reference work, it provides an extensive overview of how archaeologists reconstruct past societies and examine human cultural development through material evidence.

Paul Bahn

Archaeology. Theories, methods and practice