Archaeology: A Global Overview

Archaeology is a multidisciplinary science that integrates a number of scientific disciplines such as anthropology, history, geography, geology, statistics, paleontology and paleobotany, besides many others. It studies the human activity through the analysis of material culture. Archaeological methods like remote sensing, field survey, excavation and post-excavation analysis are used for conducting investigations in this field. Some advanced methods include computer graphics, photogrammetry, drones, agent-based modeling and simulation. Archaeology has various sub-disciplines that are categorized as per civilization, chronological focus, specific material or theme. Egyptology, Sinology, Indology, etc. are some of the sub-disciplines of archaeology that are classified according to archaeological culture or civilization. Some of the other academic sub-disciplines are ethnoarchaeology, archaeometry, historical archaeology, experimental archaeology, etc. This book discusses the fundamentals as well as modern approaches of archaeology. It consists of contributions made by international experts. Coherent flow of topics, student-friendly language and extensive use of examples make this book an invaluable source of knowledge.