Images of the Past - Softcover

Price, T. Douglas; Feinman, Gary M.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0073531057 ISBN 13: 9780073531052

Publisher: McGraw-Hill Humanities Social, 2009

Synopsis

Images of the Past . Full description

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From the Publisher:

A "case study" approach to the most significant findings in prehistory. The text includes brief case studies of about 80 sites that have yielded important insights into prehistory. This site-by-site organization allows flexibility of use and provides a comparable level of detail for each site discussed.
Lavishly illustrated with maps, site plans, charts, diagrams, and photographs. With more than 500 illustrations, Images of the Past conveys the visual magnificence of archaeological sites and finds. Presented in magazine-like format, the text and illustrations help bring archaeology to life and make concepts memorable. A stunning 4-color section enlivens the presentation of sites.
A consistent organization from chapter to chapter. This organization makes site specifics and generalized interpretations easier for students to isolate and comprehend. Sites are grouped together in 10 chapters according to chronology and geography. Each chapter contains: 1) an overview of the time period, geographic area, and significant developments; 2) case studies of 5-10 sites; 3) boxes with pertinent notes on archaeological debates and methods; and 4) a summary of what has been learned from the study of each period and area.
Balanced coverage of Old World and New World prehistory. Price's research emphasis on the Old World and the Stone Age and Feinman's on the New World and the rise of civilization guarantees a strong, balanced presentation of sites important to prehistory throughout the world.
Interpretive debates and problem-solving are highlighted in the chapter overviews and summaries. The text emphasizes the interesting questions about the past that archaeologists are asking as well as the answers that currently exist.
Strong pedagogical aids and suggested readings. To heighten the accessibility of the text, difficult site names are followed by pronunciation guides, and new terms are included in bold type and defined in a glossary at the back of the book. Suggested readings at the ends of chapters help students further explore their interests.
A new introductory chapter provides an in-depth summary of the basic methods, questions, and goals of archaeology. To provide students with a sense of how archaeologists obtain basic information, it covers the essentials of fieldwork and offers an introduction to the important questions that archaeologists seek to answer about the past. With numerous photos of fieldwork and illustrations of principles of archaeology, the chapter is a concise method and theory primer.
New sites and finds have been added, including:
Abu Hureyra (Chapter 6): one of the earliest known settlements of the first farmers, this site is located on the Euphrates River in northern Syria.
Çatalhöyük (Chapter 6): known as the First City, this site in Turkey is profiled along with a discussion of the ongoing excavations.
Jenné-jeno (Chapter 10): this town in Mali was at the heart of a complex civilization and is known for its fabulous architecture.
Updating of fossil finds and interpretations of our early ancestors can be found in Chapters 2-4. Recent debates on the origins of language are included here, and the section on ancient DNA has been rewritten; illustrations of cellular DNA and the genetic map of human expansion have been added. New genetic information on the relationship between Neanderthals and modern humans in Europe has been included.
New illustrations and updates have been included throughout, including many new illustrations in Chapter 7 and the latest information on the Iceman and Stonehenge in Chapter 11.

About this edition

• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Humanities Social
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0073531057
• ISBN 13: 9780073531052
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 6
• Number of pages: 576