Archaeological Research: A Brief Introduction

Rating:
Summary: Great for elementary archaeological research concepts
Review: As the name says, this book is brief, and the material strictly introductory. This is not intended as a debasement of its value; on the contrary, it allowed me to have a more coherent picture of the project I am involved in now as a volunteer, especially with regard to the means and objectives of the research process. The simple and lucid text was a breeze. I finished the book cover-to-cover in just three nights, and though I have no background in this field, I dare say that I am now comfortable with the elementary concepts and some of the jargon used. I have tried textbooks before, but I usually find them too thick. Note though that this book is definitely not a substitute for a conventional textbook. For a proper grounding, more advanced material is required, which is where the numerous annotated references provided may prove helpful. More links to other sources are available on the companion website; as for the exercises, they are more of a revision which you can skip if your memory is not too bad and your attention is not diverted while reading. I feel that the book will be helpful to students who want something to start them off with, and people like me who require some working knowledge but do not want to spend too much time studying.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent readable introduction to archeology
Review: I never read a textbook I liked--until now. The book is easy to read, actually _fun_ to read, and full of valuable examples and information. You don't get overloaded with lots of data, but it has enough to give you a good idea of the archeological methods being described. There are lots of real-life examples too, and that makes the text interesting. The best part of the book is that it explains _why_ archeologists do what they do, not just what they do. I read it before going to a field school, and it gave me exactly the background I needed. It would be a great book for anyone looking for a short, clear, and fun introduction to archeology.