Synopses & Reviews
Archaeologists today need a wide range of scientific approaches in order to delineate and interpret the ecology of their sites. But borrowing concepts from other disciplines demands a critical understanding, and the methods must be appropriate to particular sets of data. This book is an authoritative and essential guide to methods, ranging from techniques for measuring time with isotopes and magnetism to the sciences of climate reconstruction, geomorphology, sedimentology, soil science, paleobotany and faunal paleoecology. Their applications are illustrated by examples from the Paleolithic, through classical civilizations, to urban archaeology.
Review
"The author comes across as very literate, intelligent(but also smart and pratical), and very savvy about the physical and biological science that underlie environmental reconstruction on all scales...The coverage is amazingly thorough and well integrated." Jrnl of Anthropological Research 2001"This important addition to the archaeological literature is certain to benefit graduate teaching in environmental archaeology." CHOICE March 2001"Dincauze's comprehensive book provides an excellent survey of the study of environmental data and paleocology at archeological sites." CHOICE March 2001
Review
"This book is a well-written and informative discourse on environmental archaeology." Journal of Middle Atlantic Archaeology
Review
"This important addition to the archaeological literature is certain to benefit graduate teaching in environmental archaeology." CHOICE March 2001
Review
"Dincauze's comprehensive book provides an excellent survey of the study of environmental data and paleocology at archeological sites." CHOICE March 2001
Table of Contents
Part I. Introduction: 1. Environmental archaeology and human ecology; 2. Concepts for paleoenvironmental reconstruction; 3. Mechanisms of environmental change; 4. Human responses to environmental change; Part II: 5. Introduction to chronometry and correlation; 6. Measuring time with isotopes and magnetism; Part III: 7. Climate: the driving forces; 8. Climate reconstruction; Part IV. Geomorphology: 9. Landforms; 10. Landforms of shores and shallow water; Part V. Sediments and Soils: 11. Basic principles of sedimentology and soils science; 12. Archaeological matrices; Part V. Vegetation: 13. Concepts and methods of paleobotany; 14. Vegetation in paleoecology; 15. Concepts and methods for faunal paleoenvironments; 16. Faunal paleoecology; 17. Humans among animals; Part VIII. Integration: 18. Anthropocentric paleoecology.