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Archaeology: Down to Earth, 5th Edition

Robert L. Kelly, David Hurst Thomas

  • Copyright 2014
  • {{checkPublicationMessage('Published', '2013-01-01T00:00:00+0000')}}
Starting At $79.95 See pricing and ISBN options
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Archaeology: Down to Earth 5th Edition by Robert L. Kelly/David Hurst Thomas
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Overview

This up-to-date, brief exploration of the field of archaeology pairs two of archaeology's most recognized names -- Robert L. Kelly of the University of Wyoming and David Hurst Thomas of the American Museum of Natural History. With their passionate, down-to-earth writing style, the authors emphasize doing fieldwork and truly engage students by offering extended, personalized examples throughout the text. Well-chosen examples from other sites around the world show how archaeologists have worked through actual problems in the field and in the lab. "What Does It Mean to Me?" boxes address issues about archaeology that relate to student's lives and demonstrate the value of understanding the past as well as the practical applications of archaeology today.

Available with InfoTrac® Student Collections http://gocengage.com/infotrac.

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Meet the Authors

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Robert L. Kelly

Robert L. Kelly began collecting arrowheads in farmers' fields when he was 10 years old. He has participated in archaeological research since 1973, when he was a sophomore in high school. He has worked on excavations in North and South America and conducted ethnographic research in Madagascar. He currently is conducting research into the archaeology of Wyoming's Bighorn and Absaroka Mountains, and Glacier National Park. A former president of the Society for American Archaeology and current editor of American Antiquity, Kelly has published over 100 articles and books, including The Foraging Spectrum: Diversity in Hunting and Gathering Societies (1995) and The Lifeways of Hunter-Gatherers (2013). Dr. Kelly has been a professor at the University of Wyoming since 1997.

David Hurst Thomas

David Hurst Thomas has served as curator of anthropology at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City since 1972. A specialist in Native American archaeology, Thomas discovered both Gatecliff Shelter (Nevada) and the lost 16th- and 17th-century Franciscan mission Santa Catalina de Guale on St. Catherine's Island, Georgia. He has led the long-term excavation of Mission San Marcos near Santa Fe (New Mexico) and recently returned to St. Catherine's Island for long-term archaeological exploration. A founding trustee of the National Museum of the American Indian at the Smithsonian since 1989, Thomas has published extensively. His works include 100 papers and 30 books -- most recently, the bestselling Skull Wars: Kennewick Man, Archaeology, and The Battle for Native American Identity. Archaeologist Thomas likes "old stuff," including his 1961 Corvette, his 130-year-old house, and the Oakland Raiders.

What's New

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  • The author team continues to update examples, such as demonstrating the areas of remote sensing and genetic analyses.
  • Photos and graphics have been enhanced for a better visual presentation that enables students to see more clearly the key points of a concept or example.
  • "In His/Her Own Words" sections feature archaeological research's first-person accounts of a variety of topics. Contributions include: "The Challenge of Archaeology" by Lewis R. Binford; "The Potential of Historical Archaeology" by Kathleen Deagan; and "Why Are So Few African-Americans Doing Archaeology?" by Anna S. Agbe-Davies.

Features

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  • ARCHAEOLOGY: DOWN TO EARTH focuses on "how" archeology is done and "what" archaeology has to say about the ancient and the contemporary worlds. That focus is revealed in the new examples and features, which are designed to better engage students (e.g., the "What Does it Mean to Me?" box entitled "Reconstructing Climate Change: Global Warming").
  • Thomas and Kelly present fascinating examples drawn from their own and others' experiences leading excavations. For example, students will gain first-person insight into Thomas's discovery of Nevada's Gatecliff Shelter and read about the search for a lost Franciscan mission in Georgia's fabled Sea Islands.
  • The authors emphasize the archaeologist's role as manager of cultural heritage resources, informing students of employment possibilities in archaeology and stressing the role of conservation archaeology as a practical extension of the more traditional academic and museum-oriented archaeologies.
  • Helpful pedagogical features will get students thinking critically and include "What Does it Mean to Me?" boxes highlighting today's key issues and archaeological research on such topics as global warming and human impact on the environment, the role of oral traditions, and the values of descendant communities; "Profile of an Archaeologist" boxes emphasizing the diversity of today's working archaeologists and showing the various ways that archaeologists can make a living; and "Looking Closer" sidebars covering ancillary topics that engage and inform readers on topics such as recommended equipment and course work, personal glimpses into archaeology, or the lighter side of archaeology, such as how sites get their names.
  • Learning aids include chapter-opening outlines, mid-chapter "Rapid Review" features that summarize key concepts, running glossaries, bulleted chapter summaries, and a chapter-by-chapter bibliography that provides a quick, easy way to find references.

Table of Contents

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1. Meet Some Real Archaeologists.
2. The Structure of Archaeological Inquiry.
3. Doing Fieldwork: Surveying for Archaeological Sites.
4. Doing Fieldwork: Why Archaeologists Dig Square Holes.
5. Chronology Building: How to Get a Date.
6. The Dimensions of Archaeology: Time, Space, and Form.
7. Taphonomy, Experimental Archaeology, and Ethnoarchaeology.
8. People, Plants, and Animals in the Past.
9. Bioarchaeological Approaches to the Past.
10. Reconstructing Social and Political Systems of the Past.
11. The Archaeology of the Mind.
12. Historical Archaeology: Insights on American History.
13. Caring for the Global Cultural Heritage.
Glossary.
Bibliography.
Index.

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  • ISBN-10: 0357696492
  • ISBN-13: 9780357696491
  • RETAIL $79.95

  • ISBN-10: 1133608647
  • ISBN-13: 9781133608646
  • RETAIL $174.95
Instructor Next Steps
Students: Buy now