Book Description

This 2nd edition of the encyclopedia keeps up with the latest advances in the ever-expanding and rapidly evolving field of geoarchaeology. New subjects have been added and previous ones updated to stay apace with innovations since the 1st edition. It describes terms, introduces concepts and problems, explains and illustrates techniques, and discusses theory and strategy in the use of earth science applications in archaeology. The breadth of the discipline is systematically covered, including environmental archaeology, dating, materials analysis, and paleoecology, as well as syntheses of important archaeological sites where geoarchaeology has played a prominent role in describing, analyzing, and interpreting the record of the human past. The text is clearly written so that technical topics become accessible to a wide spectrum of readers, from the general public and university students to researchers and practitioners. It will not specifically cover general sites, civilizations, and ancient cultures, etc., that are better described in other encyclopedias of world archaeology, but it does include entries on sites and past events that are better known as a result of substantial geoarchaeological contributions.