Practical and Theoretical Geoarchaeology

✍ Scribed by Paul Goldberg, Richard I. Macphail

• Year: 2006
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 479
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

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) 740–743

✦ Table of Contents

Practical and Theoretical Geoarchaeology......Page 4
Contents......Page 8
Preface......Page 12
Acknowledgments......Page 14
Introduction......Page 16
Part I Regional scale geoarchaeology......Page 22
1.2 Types of sediments......Page 26
1.3 Conclusions: sediments versus soils......Page 42
2.2 Stratigraphy and stratigraphic principles......Page 43
2.3 Facies and microfacies......Page 53
2.5 Keeping track: the Harris Matrix......Page 55
2.6 Conclusions......Page 56
Box 2.1 Facies and stratigraphy: The Paleoindian-Archaic site of Wilson–Leonard, Texas......Page 48
3.1 Introduction......Page 57
3.2 Soil profiles and soil properties......Page 66
3.3 The five soil forming factors......Page 67
3.4 Important soil forming processes......Page 79
3.5 Conclusions......Page 86
Box 3.1 The Five Factors of Soil Formation and Bronze Age Brean Down, United Kingdom......Page 58
Box 3.2 Cold Climate Soils......Page 68
4.1 Introduction......Page 87
4.2 Water movement on slopes......Page 88
4.3 Erosion, movement, and deposition on slopes......Page 91
4.4 Conclusions......Page 99
5.2 Stream erosion, transport, and deposition......Page 100
5.3 Stream deposits and channel patterns......Page 104
5.4 Floodplains......Page 106
5.5 Stream terraces......Page 114
5.6 Lakes......Page 127
5.7 Conclusions......Page 132
Box 5.1 Upper and Middle Palaeolithic sites of Nahal Zin, Central Negev, Israel......Page 117
6.2 Sandy aeolian terrains......Page 134
6.3 Examples of sites in dune contexts......Page 152
6.5 Fine grained aeolian deposits......Page 155
6.6 Conclusions......Page 164
Box 6.1: Aeolian features in desert environments1......Page 138
7.2 Palaeo sea shores and palaeo coastal deposits......Page 166
7.3 Conclusions......Page 183
Box 7.1 Boxgrove (United Kingdom) – the marine and salt marsh sequence......Page 167
Box 7.2 Drowned coasts of Essex and the River Severn, United Kingdom......Page 178
8.2 Formation of caves and rockshelters......Page 184
8.3 Cave deposits and processes......Page 189
8.4 Environmental reconstruction......Page 201
8.5 Conclusions......Page 202
Box 8.1 Kebara Cave, Israel......Page 195
Part II Nontraditional geoarchaeological approaches......Page 204
9.2 Forest clearance and soil changes (amelioration, deterioration, and disturbance)......Page 208
9.3 Forest and woodland clearance features......Page 214
9.4 Cultivation and manuring......Page 217
9.5 Landscape effects......Page 222
9.6 Conclusions......Page 225
Box 9.1 Cultivation at Late Roman/Saxon Oakley, Suffolk, United Kingdom......Page 219
10.1 Introduction......Page 226
10.2 Concepts and aspects of occupation deposits......Page 227
10.3 Stratigraphic sequences as material culture; concepts and uses of space......Page 231
10.4 Time and scale......Page 232
10.5 Settlement–landscape interrelationships......Page 233
10.6 Origin and predepositional history of occupation deposits......Page 234
10.8 Postdepositional modifications......Page 236
10.9 Conclusions......Page 239
11.2 Tells......Page 240
Box 11.1 Tells......Page 242
11.4 Urban archaeology of Western Europe......Page 250
11.5 Early medieval settlement......Page 254
11.6 Medieval floors of northwest Europe......Page 259
11.7 Conclusions......Page 261
Box 11.2 Grubenhäuser......Page 257
12.1 Introduction......Page 262
12.2 Effects of burial and aging......Page 263
12.3 Experimental “Ancient Farms” at Butser and Umeå......Page 269
12.4 Conclusions......Page 282
13.2 Constructional materials......Page 283
13.3 Metal working......Page 298
13.4 Conclusions......Page 300
Box 13.1 Brickearth walls......Page 284
Box 13.2 Terra Preta and European dark earth......Page 286
14.2 Soils and clandestine graves......Page 301
14.4 Other potential methods......Page 304
14.5 Practical approaches to forensic soil sampling and potential for soil micromorphology......Page 306
14.6 Conclusions......Page 308
Part III Field and laboratory methods, data, and reporting......Page 310
15.2 Regional-scale methods......Page 314
15.3 Shallow geophysical methods (resistivity, palaeomagnetism, seismology, ground penetrating radar)......Page 327
15.4 Coring and trenching techniques......Page 331
15.5 Describing sections: soils and sediments in the field......Page 336
15.6 Collecting samples......Page 343
15.7 Sample and data correlation......Page 348
15.8 Conclusions......Page 349
16.1 Introduction......Page 350
16.2 Physical and chemical techniques......Page 351
16.3 Microscopic methods and mineralogy......Page 367
16.4 Thin section analysis......Page 369
16.5 Minerals and heavy minerals......Page 376
16.6 Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), EDAX, and microprobe......Page 377
16.7 Conclusions......Page 382
17.2 Management of sites and reporting......Page 383
17.4 Postexcavation reporting and publication......Page 389
17.5 Site interpretation......Page 395
17.6 Conclusions......Page 402
Box 17.1 How to write a report – a suggested fieldwork report protocol......Page 384
Box 17.2 Reporting – London Guildhall......Page 385
18 Concluding remarks and the geoarchaeological future......Page 403
Appendices......Page 406
Bibliography......Page 419
Index......Page 458
Colour Plates......Page 472