Archaeology For Dummies
From the Back Cover
Learn to:
Appreciate history’s greatest archaeological discoveries
Excavate a site, analyze findings, and draw conclusions
Understand theories about the lives of early civilizations
Pursue a career in archaeology
Your hands-on guide to this fascinating science of history and culture
Are you amazed by archaeology? This friendly guide introduces you to this intriguing field and the people who reconstruct our past, clearing up common misconceptions and explaining how we learn about ancient human societies. You’ll see how to conduct archaeological fieldwork and unearth little-known details about some of the world’s biggest discoveries!
Understand what archaeology is and isn’t ― discover its history, its different forms, and the reasoning behind its method
Learn how archaeologists think and work ― see how they use science to reconstruct the past and why they argue over significant finds
Go on-site ― know what to pack for a field expedition, where to dig, how to survey and excavate, and ways to handle ethical issues involved in archaeological investigation
Your real work begins ― process, study, and analyze materials in order to tell the story of past human behavior
Expand your modern world view ― examine the major archaeological finds to understand what they tell us about today’s society
Get involved ― join societies, volunteer on digs, and study to become a professional archaeologist
Open the book and find:
Survey and excavation techniques described in detail
Post-fieldwork procedures, from cleaning and dating to storing artifacts
The different theoretical approaches of modern archaeology
The story of human milestones, from the first people through modern times
Instructive case studies of actual digs
How to interpret and display the past from different viewpoints
The latest sensational finds and controversies
About the Author
Nancy Marie White is a registered professional archaeologist and Professor of Anthropology at the University of South Florida, Tampa. Her research includes prehistoric and historic archaeological sites of all time periods in the eastern United States, as well as theoretical issues and public archaeology.