The Oxford Handbook of Archaeology

World coverage of the discipline by leading expert authors
Includes regional overviews of key regions of the world
Provides essential starting points for more specialist work, as well as a conspectus for general readers
Ranges across the history of archaeology, archaeological science, and ethics in archaeology
Part of the prestigious Oxford Handbooks series


Archaeology is a vast subject - it is the study of human society everywhere in the world, from distant human origins 3-4 million years ago up to the present day. The Oxford Handbook of Archaeology brings together 35 authors - all specialists in their own fields - to explain what archaeology is really about. This is one of the most comprehensive treatments of the subject and of the key debates ever attempted. It is designed to open up the world of archaeology to non-specialists and to provide an essential starting point for those who want to pursue particular topics in more depth.

Archaeology is a vast subject - it is the study of human society everywhere in the world, from distant human origins 3-4 million years ago up to the present day. The Oxford Handbook of Archaeology brings together 35 authors - all specialists in their own fields - to explain what archaeology is really about. This is one of the most comprehensive treatments of the subject and of the key debates ever attempted. It is designed to open up the world of archaeology to non-specialists and to provide an essential starting point for those who want to pursue particular topics in more depth.

Barry Cunliffe: Introduction; 1. The Name and Nature of Archaeology; Kristian Kristiansen: The discipline of archaeology; Robin Boast: The formative century, 1860-1960; Matthew H. Johnson: The theoretical scene, 1960-2000; Andy Jones: Into the future; Marcia-Anne Dobres: Technologies; 2. Tools of the Trade; A. M. Pollard: Measuring the passage of time, achievements and challenges in archaeological dating; Gary Lock: Human activity in a spatial context; Roger White: Data collection by excavation; M. S. Tite: Mastering materials; 3. Early Humans; Jonathan Marks: The nature of humanness; Nicholas Toth & Kathy Schick: Early hominids; William Davies: The emergence of Home sapiens sapiens; Paul Pettitt: The Neanderthals; Steven Mithen: Peopling the world; 4. Strategies for Survival; Peter Mitchell: Hunters and gatherers; Graeme Barker: Early farming and domestication; Robert Hedges: Studying diet; 5. Complex Societies and the Formation of Early States; Ian Morris: Cultural complexity; Robin Skeates: Trade and interaction; Li Liu: China: state formation and urbanization; Elizabeth M. Brumfiel: Mesoamerica; Terence N. D'Altroy: The central Andean region in prehistory; 6. Some Regional Overviews; Cyprian Broodbank: The Mediterranean and its hinterland; Innocent Pikirayi: The archaeology of sub-Saharan Africa: an overview; Georgina Herrmann: Pre-Islamic Central Asia; Bryan C. Hood: The Circumpolar zone; S. Nelson: East Asia; Lesley Head, Harry Allen, Tim Denham & Richard Fullagar: Australasia; Chris Gosden: Pacific Islands; Charles R. Cobb & Randall H. McGuire: North America; P. P. Funari, A. Zarankin & E. Stovel: South American archaeology; 7. Issues and Debates; Jonathan Williams: Indigenous voices and repatriation; Roberta Gilchrist: Sex and gender; Stephanie Moser: Archaeological representation: the consumption and creation of the past; Yvonne Marshall: Community archaeology

Barry Cunliffe is Emeritus Professor of European Archaeology at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of the British Academy. He has excavated widely in Britain, the Channel Islands, France, and Spain, and written a number of books on archaeology, including Facing the Ocean (OUP, 2001) and The Celts (OUP, 2003). He has presented many radio and television programmes and is currently Trustee of the British Museum and Commissioner of English Heritage. Chris Gosden is Professor of European Archaeology at the University of Oxford. He has excavated in Britain, Europe, Central Asia, and Papua New Guinea, and has written a number of books on archaeology and museum studies, including Prehistory: A Very Short Introduction (OUP, 2003). Rosemary A. Joyce is Professor in the Department of Archaeology at the University of California at Berkeley.