Features
- Cover Type: Paperback with 368 pages
- Published by: Yale University Press
- Edition: 2nd Edition May 11, 2006
- Written in: English
- ISBN 10 Number: 0300109660
- ISBN 13 Number: 978-0300109665
-
Book Dimensions:
9.8 x 7 x 0.9 inches
- Weighs: 1.4 pounds
Product Review
"[This book] covers a wide range of topics with clarity and balance The chapters are all well written and have concise introductory discussions that are not too detailed and not too brief gorgeously produced." Michael Waters, Geoarchaeology: An International Journal (on the first edition) "Rapp and Hill's book fills a resource gap. There is very little available in book form about the interdisciplinary field of Georarchaeology [The authors] have contributed a wealth of information about almost all geological aspects of archaeology Any university having archaeology courses should have this book in its library, as should any professor of archaeology." Choice "A useful addition to the study of geoarchaeology in many of its aspects, and the authors are to be commended for an ambitious project." A.G. Latham, Antiquity"
Product Review
"Probably the most comprehensive treatise on geoarchaeology yet written."—Vance Haynes, University of Arizona
(Vance Haynes )
"Rapp and Hill provide the single most comprehensive guide to basic principles in the field of Geoarchaeology. The text is an essential resource for teaching earth science applications to undergraduate archaeologists."—Andrea Freeman, University of Calgary
(Andrea Freeman )
Reader ReviewsI have previously reviewed the book "Practical and Theoretical Geoarchaeology" by Goldberg and Macphail and I've given it 5 stars. This one is anoother five-stars book on geoarchaeology, especially since this second edition has been considerably expanded by about eighty pages. The two books are both excelent, but they possess diferent strenghts: Goldberg&Macphail's book relies heavily on landscapes, sediments, soils, stratigraphy, soil chemistry and especially soil micromorphology; it also is excelent due to coverage of field and laboratory methods. Although this focus is excelent (the book covers these topics extensively) it lets out a lot of other topics; for example, environmental studies in a archaeological context are left out (the authors consider it a separate field of study done by a separate team), and so are Archaeometric studies which the authors also consider to be out of the field of Geoarchaeology (they dedicate a chapter to some archaeometric studies, but the coverage is not only incomplete but the information is also very sparse). On the other hand, Rapp's book, although beying relatively brief in coverage of the multiple topics does cover everything that the geosciences can contribute to Archaeology, from the same topics covered by Goldberg&Macphail's book, to environmental studies and Archaeometry (like, for example, provenance studies involving trace-element patterns and stable isotopes, etc). Rapp's book is by far the most complete in terms of coverage (especially this second edition) but it is also the most brief and succint; Goldberg&Macphail's book does not cover all the ground Rapp's book covers and leaves a lot out, but on the other side it its coverage of the featured topics is much more comprehensive. All in all, two execelent books in Geoarchaeology that deserve to be each in the 5 stars pantheon; nevertheless you should be aware of the different strenghts of each one when you make your choice. If you're like me, you'll buy both.
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