Written by the most authoritative scholars from around the world, a massive treasurehouse of information on all aspects of archaeology, from pre-history to the present day.

As new civilizations have been unearthed, languages have been deciphered, and the antiquity of human life has been extended to almost unimaginable depths. Yet there remains a core belief that only archaeology can reveal the evidence of the whole human story from prehistoric to historical times.

Encyclopedia of Archaeology: History and Discoveries explores the archaeologists, sites, debates, techniques, methods, and issues that are central to the global practice of archaeology. These richly illustrated volumes trace the development of the field from the ancient Greeks to the present day. Through detailed tours of major excavation sites from all over the world - Chichen Itza, Machu Picchu, Ephesus, Pompeii, the tomb of Tutankhamun - as well as more obscure sites like Brzesc Kujawski in Poland, readers gain an appreciation for the inherent challenges all archaeologists share in locating, recovering and making sense of evidence of past human lives

The Histories and Discoveries volumes profile significant archaeologists such as the indefatigable Gertrude Bell, an expert on Arab affairs during World War I and Iraq's director of antiquities in the 1920s. Additional entries ranging from the Dead Sea scrolls and rock art to techniques like dating and remote sensing round out this watershed in the history of archaeology.

Title Features

• Includes A-Z entires on pioneers such as J. Desmond Clark, sites including Chichen Itza in Mexico, remote sensing and other concepts, techniques, periods, regions, organizations, and museums.
• Contributors include some of the world's most eminent archaeologists
• Includes maps depicting key points of reference like ethnic groups in the West Indies at the time of Columbus
• Contains photographs of excavation sites such as an ancient burial ground in Chile, shields, petroglyphs, and other artifacts

Highlights

• Discusses the complexities and controversies regarding the most fundamental of all interpretive activities - classification - and its tow distinct forms: artifact and culture
• Coverage of histories of significant sites, debates, techniques, methods, and issues central to the global practice of the discipline
• Special attention to archaeology's impact on the wider culture, including cultural heritage management: Who "owns" the Elgin Marbles? Who "owns" the artifacts and human remains excavated from Native American sites?