In the Beginning: Introduction to Archaeology - Hardcover

Fagan, Brian M.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0673523357 ISBN 13: 9780673523358

Publisher: Longman, 1994

Synopsis

This eighth edition of "In the Beginning" begins with a summary of the history of the subject and then provides an overview of the objectives and processes of archaeological research and the basic principles of culture, context and dating methods. The book also examines some of the major theoretical approaches to archaeological interpretation and shows how archaeologists use such techniques as ethnographic analogy, middle range theory and controlled experimentation to interpret the past. The closing chapters summarize major theoretical debates and advances. With new emphases on gender, ethnic diversity and the importance of archaeology in the modern world, "In the Beginning" is intended for anyone in need of a comprehensive book on method and theory in archaeology.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

Unique online study resource...the Companion Website™ ― www.prenhall.com/fagan

Prentice Hall's exclusive Companion Website™ that accompanies In the Beginning: An Introduction to Archaeology, Tenth Edition, offers unique tools and support that make it easy for students and instructors to integrate this online study guide with the text. The site is a comprehensive resource that is organized according to the chapters within the text and features a variety of learning and teaching modules:

For Students:

• Study Guide Modules contain a variety of exercises and features designed to help students with self-study. These modules include:
  • Chapter objectives that help students organize key concepts to be learned
  • Essay questions that help strengthen critical thinking skills
  • Quizzes with multiple-choice and true-false questions that supply instant scoring and feedback on student mastery of core material
  • Built-in e-mail routing option that gives students the ability to forward essay responses and graded quizzes to their instructors.
• Reference Modules contain Web Destinations and Net Search options that provide the opportunity to expand upon the information presented in the text. Whether through a directory of websites relevant to the subject matter of a chapter or by simplifying key-term searching by automatically inserting terms from a chapter into major search engines, these reference features enable students to quickly reach related information on the web.
• Communication Modules include tools such as Live Chat and Message Boards to facilitate online collaboration and communication.
• Personalization Modules include our enhanced Help feature that contains a text page for browsers and plug-ins.

For Instructors:

• Syllabus Manager™ tool provides an easy-to-follow process for creating, posting, and revising a syllabus online that is accessible from any point within the Companion Website™. This resource allows instructors and students to communicate both inside and outside of the classroom at the click of a button.

The Companion Website™ makes integrating the Internet into your course exciting and easy. Join us online at the address above and enter a new world of teaching and learning possibilities and opportunities.

About the Author:

Brian Fagan is a leading archaeological writer and internationally recognized authority on world prehistory. He studied archaeology and anthropology at Pembroke College and Cambridge University. He then spent seven years in sub-Saharan Africa working in museums, monument conservation, and excavating early farming sites in Zambia and East Africa. He was a pioneer of multidisciplinary African history in the 1960s. From 1967 to 2003, he was professor of anthropology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he specialized in lecturing and writing about archaeology to wide audiences. He is now Emeritus Professor of Anthropology.

 

Brian Fagan has written six best-selling textbooks (all published by Prentice Hall): Ancient Lives: An Introduction to Archaeology and Prehistory; In the Beginning, Archaeology: A Brief Introduction; World Prehistory; Ancient Civilizations (with Chris Scarre); and this volume–which are used around the world. His general books include The Rape of the Nile, a classic history of Egyptology; The Adventure of Archaeology Time Detectives; Ancient North America; The Little Ice Age; Before California: An Archaeologist Looks at Our Earliest Inhabitants; and The Long Summer. He was also General Editor of the Oxford Companion to Archaeology. In addition, he has published several scholarly monographs on African archaeology and numerous specialized articles in national and international journals. An expert on multimedia teaching, he has received the Society for American Archaeology's first Public Education Award for his indefatigable efforts on behalf of archaeology and education.

 

Brian Fagan's other interests include bicycling, sailing, kayaking, and good food. He is married and lives in Santa Barbara with his wife and daughter, four cats (who supervise his writing), and last but not least, a minimum of four rabbits.

About this edition

• Publisher: Longman
• Publication date: 1994
• ISBN 10: 0673523357
• ISBN 13: 9780673523358
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 600