Synopses & Reviews
The first overview of sampling for archaeologists for over twenty years, this manual offers a comprehensive account of the application of statistical sampling theory that is essential to modern archaeological practice, at a range of scales, from the regional to the microscopic. It includes a discussion of the relevance of sampling theory to archaeological interpretation, and considers its fundamental place in fieldwork and post excavation study. It demonstrates the vast range of techniques that are available, only some of which are widely used by archaeologists. A section on statistical theory also reviews the latest developments in the field, and the presentation is clear and user friendly. The formal mathematics is available in an appendix, which is cross-referenced with the main text.
Review
"...probably one of the best books written on sampling and sampling statistics...I would recommend it most highly, as it provides one of the most succinct assessments of sampling in archaeology to date." Canadian Journal of Archaeology
Review
"This book provides good advice on designing and planning archaelogical studies and contains an extensive up-to-date bibliography." Journal of Anthropological Research
Synopsis
Sampling in Archaeology is the only up-to-date and comprehensive account of the techniques of sampling which are essential to modern archaeological practice. It incorporates the latest developments in statistical sampling theory, and can easily be understood by students and scholars of archaeology.
Synopsis
The only up-to-date and comprehensive account of the techniques of sampling which are essential to modern archaeological practice, this manual explains complex statistical issues in a way that can be easily understood by field archaeologists and students alike. It incorporates the latest developments in statistical sampling theory which are starting to make their impact on archaeological practice. Clive Orton's other publications include Mathematics in Archeology and, with Ian Hoder, Spatial Analysis in Archaeology.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 224-247) and index.
Table of Contents
1. 'All the world's a sample'; 2. 'A little of what you fancy?'; 3. 'If this is the sample, what was the population?'; 4. 'Covering the ground'; 5. 'What's in a site?'; 6. 'The answer lies in the soil'; 7. 'But many sanguine people hope, to see them through a microscope'; 8. 'In its depth, what treasures?'; 9. 'Beyond random sampling'; Appendix.