Examines what archaeology is and how it has evolved over the centuries.

Gives advice on how to get involved in local research projects, restoration initiatives and actual excavations in the field --

Illus. with full-color photos. Take a close-up look at the science and technology of digging up the past--from the 1970 excavation of the legendary city of Troy to the recent find of a Chinese emperor's long-lost grave.

"This volume unites critical practice with a community-based approach to archaeology and presents an extended case study with the Inuvialuit community of the Canadian Western Arctic, using a multivocal approach that integrates archaeology, ethnography, oral history, and community interviews, and actively working to hear Inuvialuit voices speak about their rich and textured history"--Provided by publisher.

A hands-on resource for new and amateur archaeologists provides hundreds of step-by-step photographs, maps and illustrations from excavations around the world.

Useful and instructive papers advocating the value of practical considerations in the field, addressing common problems from the real world of archaeology and proposing real solutions that have proven successful through trial and error. Includes papers on the chemical reduction of clay matrices, methods of establishing precise provenience in archaeological excavations, surface collecting with the aid of transits, simplified mapping techniques, the use of X rays in artifact analysis, archaeological surveying from muleback, choosing and maintaining an archaeological field vehicle, and the use of small boats in archaeological investigations.

A study of the various ways in which field archaeologists set about making and using classifications to meet a variety of practical needs. The authors discuss how humans form concepts. They then describe and analyse in detail a specific example of an archaeological classification, and go on to consider the theoretical generalizations that can be derived from the study of actual in-use classifications.