Description
Archaeology and World Prehistory: Unearthing Our Past emphasizes the interdisciplinary nature of the field and its interconnectedness with the four fields of anthropology, sciences, humanities, and beyond. Students new to archaeology will learn key theories and methodologies through rich examples from field work and prehistory. Christopher R. DeCorse challenges ethnocentrism and essentialism by highlighting the differences and similarities across cultures, encouraging critical thinking, cultural appreciation, and global awareness.
Table of Contents
Preface
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Part I: Uncovering the Past
Chapter 1: Invitation to Archaeology
Introduction
Archaeology as Anthropology
Archaeology and Interdisciplinary Research
Interpreting the Past
The Past in the Present
Unearthing the Past
Review of Learning Objectives
Key Terms
Chapter 2: Explanation in Archaeology
Introduction
Antiquarians and Archaeologists
What Happened When?
Diffusion
Why Cultures Change
Processual Archaeology
Postprocessual Perspectives
Marxist and Neo-Marxist Approaches
Interpreting the Past
Review of Learning Objectives
Key Terms
Chapter 3: The Record of the Past
Introduction
Getting Started
The Archaeological Record
Finding Sites
Archaeological Excavation
Dating the Past
Archaeology in the Lab
Wrapping Up
Review of Learning Objectives
Key Terms
Part II: Human Origins
Chapter 4: Hominin Evolution
The Fossil Record
Tracing Human Origins
From Homo erectus to Homo sapiens
Neanderthals and Other Relatives
Clues in our genes: Genetic data and hominin phylogeny
Creationism, Intelligent Design, and Evolution
Being Human
Review of Learning Objectives
Key Terms
Chapter 5: The Lower and Middle Paleolithic
Introduction
Lifestyles of the First Hominins
The Old Stone Age
The Life and Times of Genus Homo
The Middle Paleolithic
Could Early Hominins Speak?
New Horizons
Review of Learning Objectives
Key Terms
Chapter 6: Brave New Worlds
Introduction
Homo sapiens and Their Cultures
An Artistic Revolution
New Frontiers: Migration in the Upper Paleolithic
Homo sapiens in Australia and Oceania
Upper Paleolithic Hunters in the Americas
New Beginnings
Review of Learning Objectives
Key Terms
Part III: Domestication and Settled Life
Chapter 7: Why Farming?
Introduction
The End of the Paleolithic: Changes in Climate and Culture
The Neolithic: Origins of Food Production
Evidence for Domestication
Why Did Domestication Occur?
The Consequences of Domestication
The Worst Mistake in Human History?
Review of Learning Objectives
Key Terms
Chapter 8: The First Farmers in Asia, Africa and Europe
Introduction
The Origins of Agriculture in Southwest Asia
Early Farming in Europe
South Asian Agriculture
Asian Agriculture
Vegiculture in Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia
Farming and Pastoralism in Africa
Looking Ahead
Review of Learning Objectives
Key Terms
Chapter 9: Farming and Settled Life in the Americas
Introduction
A Feast of Resources: Foragers of the Americas
Archaic Beginnings
Agricultural Origins in Mesoamerica
Potatoes and Guinea Pigs in South America
The First Farmers in North America
Foraging, Agriculture, and Complexity
Review of Learning Objectives
Key Terms
Part IV: Complexity and the State
Chapter 10: Studying Complexity
Introduction
Civilization and the State
Studying Complexity
The Written Record
Why Did States Form?
Why Do States Fail?
Looking Ahead
Review of Learning Objectives
Key Terms
Chapter 11: Pyramids, Cities, and States of the Old World
Introduction
Civilizations of Mesopotamia
Indus Valley Complexity
Ancient China
Dynastic Egypt
Complexity in Sub-Saharan Africa
States, States, and More States
The Fundamentals of the State
Review of Learning Objectives
Key Terms
Chapter 12: Complexity in the Americas
Introduction
The Civilizations of Mesoamerica
The Mound Builder of North America
Complexity and Empire in South America
Revisiting Complexity and the State
Review of Learning Objectives
Key Terms
Part V: The Past in the Present
Chapter 13: The Past in the Present
Introduction
Applying Archaeology
CRM in the United States
Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act
Who Owns the Past?
Archaeology in the Present
Archaeology in the Modern World
Review of Learning Objectives
Key Terms
Glossary
References
Index
