Ebook: Practical and Theoretical Geoarchaeology

Practical and Theoretical Geoarchaeology provides an invaluable overview of geoarchaeology and how it can be used effectively in the study of archaeological sites and contexts. Taking a pragmatic and functional approach, this book presents:

• a fundamental, broad-based perspective of the essentials of modern geoarchaeology in order to demonstrate the breadth of the approaches and the depth of the problems that it can tackle.
  
• the rapid advances made in the area in recent years, but also gives the reader a firm grasp of conventional approaches.
  
• covers traditional topics with the emphasis on landscapes, as well as anthropogenic site formation processes and their investigation.
  
• provides guidelines for the presentation of field and laboratory methods and the reporting of geoarchaeological results.
  
• essential reading for archaeology undergraduate and graduate students, practicing archaeologists and geoscientists who need to understand and apply geoarchaeological methodologies.

Artwork from the book is available to instructors online at: www.blackwellpublishing.com/goldberg

“This is one of the best textbooks that I have read in years. I enjoyed reviewing it, and found it well-written and thorough in its coverage of the traditional earth science aspects of geoarchaeology. The non-traditional aspects were intriguing and equally thorough... I predict that this book will become the textbook of choice for geoarchaeology classes for several years.”

Geomorphology 101 (2008) 740–743Content:
Chapter 1 Regional Scale Geoarchaeology (pages 7–9): Paul Goldberg and Richard I. Macphail
Chapter 1 Sediments (pages 11–27): Paul Goldberg and Richard I. Macphail
Chapter 2 Stratigraphy (pages 28–41): Paul Goldberg and Richard I. Macphail
Chapter 3 Soils (pages 42–71): Paul Goldberg and Richard I. Macphail
Chapter 4 Hydrological systems I: Slopes and Slope Deposits (pages 72–84): Paul Goldberg and Richard I. Macphail
Chapter 5 Hydrological Systems II: Rivers and Lakes (pages 85–118): Paul Goldberg and Richard I. Macphail
Chapter 6 Aeolian Settings and Geoarchaeological Environments (pages 119–150): Paul Goldberg and Richard I. Macphail
Chapter 7 Coasts (pages 151–168): Paul Goldberg and Richard I. Macphail
Chapter 8 Caves and Rockshelters (pages 169–187): Paul Goldberg and Richard I. Macphail
Chapter 2 Nontraditional Geoarchaeological Approaches (pages 189–191): Paul Goldberg and Richard I. Macphail
Chapter 9 Human Impact on Landscape: Forest Clearance, Soil Modifications, and Cultivation (pages 193–210): Paul Goldberg and Richard I. Macphail
Chapter 10 Occupation Deposits I: Concepts and Aspects of Cultural Deposits (pages 211–224): Paul Goldberg and Richard I. Macphail
Chapter 11 Occupation Deposits II: Examples From the Near East, North America, and Europe (pages 225–246): Paul Goldberg and Richard I. Macphail
Chapter 12 Experimental Geoarchaeology (pages 247–267): Paul Goldberg and Richard I. Macphail
Chapter 13 Human Materials (pages 268–285): Paul Goldberg and Richard I. Macphail
Chapter 14 Applications of Geoarchaeology to Forensic Science (pages 286–293): Paul Goldberg and Richard I. Macphail
Chapter 3 Field and Laboratory Methods, Data, and Reporting (pages 295–297): Paul Goldberg and Richard I. Macphail
Chapter 15 Field?Based Methods (pages 299–334): Paul Goldberg and Richard I. Macphail
Chapter 16 Laboratory techniques (pages 335–367): Paul Goldberg and Richard I. Macphail
Chapter 17 Reporting and Publishing (pages 368–387): Paul Goldberg and Richard I. Macphail
Chapter 18 Concluding Remarks and the Geoarchaeological Future (pages 388–390): Paul Goldberg and Richard I. Macphail