Practical and theoretical geoarchaeology

Practical and Theoretical Geoarchaeology provides an invaluable overview of geoarchaeology and how it can be used effectively in the study of archaeological sites and contexts. Taking a pragmatic and functional approach, this book presents:

a fundamental, broad-based perspective of the essentials of modern geoarchaeology in order to demonstrate the breadth of the approaches and the depth of the problems that it can tackle.
the rapid advances made in the area in recent years, but also gives the reader a firm grasp of conventional approaches.
covers traditional topics with the emphasis on landscapes, as well as anthropogenic site formation processes and their investigation.
provides guidelines for the presentation of field and laboratory methods and the reporting of geoarchaeological results.
essential reading for archaeology undergraduate and graduate students, practicing archaeologists and geoscientists who need to understand and apply geoarchaeological methodologies.

Artwork from the book is available to instructors online at: www.blackwellpublishing.com/goldberg

"This is one of the best textbooks that I have read in years. I enjoyed reviewing it, and found it well-written and thorough in its coverage of the traditional earth science aspects of geoarchaeology. The non-traditional aspects were intriguing and equally thorough... I predict that this book will become the textbook of choice for geoarchaeology classes for several years."

Geomorphology 101 (2008) 740-743

Author Notes

Paul Goldberg is a geologist and Professor in the Department of Archaeology, Boston University.

Preface	p. ix
Acknowledgments	p. xi
Introduction	p. 1
Part I Regional scale geoarchaeology	p. 7
Chapter 1 Sediments	p. 11
1.1 Introduction	p. 11
1.2 Types of sediments	p. 11
1.3 Conclusions: sediments versus soils	p. 27
Chapter 2 Stratigraphy	p. 28
2.1 Introduction	p. 28
2.2 Stratigraphy and stratigraphic principles	p. 28
2.3 Facies and microfacies	p. 38
2.4 Correlation	p. 40
2.5 Keeping track: the Harris Matrix	p. 40
2.6 Conclusions	p. 41
Box 2.1 Facies and stratigraphy: The Paleoindian-Archaic site of Wilson-Leonard, Texas	p. 33
Chapter 3 Soils	p. 42
3.1 Introduction	p. 42
3.2 Soil profiles and soil properties	p. 51
3.3 The five soil forming factors	p. 52
3.4 Important soil forming processes	p. 64
3.5 Conclusions	p. 71
Box 3.1 The Five Factors of Soil Formation and Bronze Age Brean Down, United Kingdom	p. 43
Box 3.2 Cold Climate Soils	p. 53
Chapter 4 Hydrological systems I: slopes and slope deposits	p. 72
4.1 Introduction	p. 72
4.2 Water movement on slopes	p. 73
4.3 Erosion, movement, and deposition on slopes	p. 76
4.4 Conclusions	p. 84
Chapter 5 Hydrological systems II: rivers and lakes	p. 85
5.1 Introduction	p. 85
5.2 Stream erosion, transport, and deposition	p. 85
5.3 Stream deposits and channel patterns	p. 89
5.4 Floodplains	p. 91
5.5 Stream terraces	p. 99
5.6 Lakes	p. 112
5.7 Conclusions	p. 117
Box 5.1 Upper and Middle Palaeolithic sites of Nahal Zin, Central Negev, Israel	p. 102
Chapter 6 Aeolian settings and geoarchaeological environments	p. 119
6.1 Introduction	p. 119
6.2 Sandy aeolian terrains	p. 119
6.3 Examples of sites in dune contexts	p. 137
6.4 Bioturbation in sandy terrains	p. 140
6.5 Fine grained aeolian deposits	p. 140
6.6 Conclusions	p. 149
Box 6.1 Aeolian features in desert environments	p. 123
Chapter 7 Coasts	p. 151
7.1 Introduction	p. 151
7.2 Palaeo sea shores and palaeo coastal deposits	p. 151
7.3 Conclusions	p. 168
Box 7.1 Boxgrove (United Kingdom) - the marine and salt marsh sequence	p. 152
Box 7.2 Drowned coasts of Essex and the River Severn, United Kingdom	p. 163
Chapter 8 Caves and rockshelters	p. 169
8.1 Introduction	p. 169
8.2 Formation of caves and rockshelters	p. 169
8.3 Cave deposits and processes	p. 174
8.4 Environmental reconstruction	p. 186
8.5 Conclusions	p. 187
Box 8.1 Kebara Cave, Israel	p. 180
Part II Nontraditional geoarchaeological approaches	p. 189
Chapter 9 Human impact on landscape: forest clearance, soil modifications, and cultivation	p. 193
9.1 Introduction	p. 193
9.2 Forest clearance and soil changes (amelioration, deterioration, and disturbance)	p. 193
9.3 Forest and woodland clearance features	p. 199
9.4 Cultivation and manuring	p. 202
9.5 Landscape effects	p. 207
9.6 Conclusions	p. 210
Box 9.1 Cultivation at Late Roman/Saxon Oakley, Suffolk, United Kingdom	p. 204
Chapter 10 Occupation deposits I: concepts and aspects of cultural deposits	p. 211
10.1 Introduction	p. 211
10.2 Concepts and aspects of occupation deposits	p. 212
10.3 Stratigraphic sequences as material culture; concepts and uses of space	p. 216
10.4 Time and scale	p. 217
10.5 Settlement-landscape interrelationships	p. 218
10.6 Origin and predepositional history of occupation deposits	p. 219
10.7 Depositional history	p. 221
10.8 Postdepositional modifications	p. 221
10.9 Conclusions	p. 224
Chapter 11 Occupation deposits II: examples from the Near East, North America, and Europe	p. 225
11.1 Introduction	p. 225
11.2 Tells	p. 225
11.3 Mounds	p. 227
11.4 Urban archaeology of Western Europe	p. 235
11.5 Early medieval settlement	p. 239
11.6 Medieval floors of Northwest Europe	p. 244
11.7 Conclusions	p. 246
Box 11.1 Tells	p. 227
Box 11.2 Grubenhauser	p. 242
Chapter 12 Experimental geoarchaeology	p. 247
12.1 Introduction	p. 247
12.2 Effects of burial and aging	p. 248
12.3 Experimental "Ancient Farms" at Butser and Umea	p. 254
12.4 Conclusions	p. 267
Chapter 13 Human materials	p. 268
13.1 Introduction	p. 268
13.2 Constructional materials	p. 268
13.3 Metal working	p. 283
13.4 Conclusions	p. 285
Box 13.1 Brickearth walls	p. 269
Box 13.2 Terra Preta and European dark earth	p. 271
Chapter 14 Applications of geoarchaeology to forensic science	p. 286
14.1 Introduction	p. 286
14.2 Soils and clandestine graves	p. 286
14.3 Provenancing and obtaining geoarchaeological information from crime scenes	p. 289
14.4 Other potential methods	p. 289
14.5 Practical approaches to forensic soil sampling and potential for soil micromorphology	p. 291
14.6 Conclusions	p. 292
Part III Field and laboratory methods, data, and reporting	p. 295
Chapter 15 Field-based methods	p. 299
15.1 Introduction	p. 299
15.2 Regional-scale methods	p. 299
15.3 Shallow geophysical methods (resistivity, palaeomagnetism, seismology, ground penetrating radar)	p. 312
15.4 Coring and trenching techniques	p. 316
15.5 Describing sections: soils and sediments in the field	p. 321
15.6 Collecting samples	p. 328
15.7 Sample and data correlation	p. 333
15.8 Conclusions	p. 334
Chapter 16 Laboratory techniques	p. 335
16.1 Introduction	p. 335
16.2 Physical and chemical techniques	p. 336
16.3 Microscopic methods and mineralogy	p. 352
16.4 Thin section analysis	p. 354
16.5 Minerals and heavy minerals	p. 361
16.6 Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), EDAX, and microprobe	p. 362
16.7 Conclusions	p. 367
Chapter 17 Reporting and publishing	p. 368
17.1 Introduction	p. 368
17.2 Management of sites and reporting	p. 368
17.3 Fieldwork and assessment/evaluation reporting	p. 374
17.4 Postexcavation reporting and publication	p. 374
17.5 Site interpretation	p. 380
17.6 Conclusions	p. 387
Box 17.1 How to write a report - a suggested fieldwork report protocol	p. 369
Box 17.2 Reporting - London Guildhall	p. 370
Chapter 18 Concluding remarks and the geoarchaeological future	p. 388
Appendices	p. 391
Bibliography	p. 404
Index	p. 443

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