World Prehistory and Archaeology

World Prehistory and Archaeology explains how the process of archaeological discovery develops our picture of humanity as it emerges from archaeological research, integrating discussion of world prehistory and archaeological methods. Presenting an up-to-date perspective on what we know about our human prehistory and how we come to know it, this book focuses on archaeology as an active journey of discovery and the ways in which archaeologists gain insight into the human past. Archaeological practice and methods are introduced and also problematized with discussions and examples of how we know the past. This new edition includes recent work on early humans, genetics, social complexity, agriculture, climate change, AI, and more to ensure that the current state of archaeological research is reflected. This vibrant picture of archaeology highlights how archaeologists grasp at the traces of the past but are at the same time deeply embedded in the concerns and structure of current society. To reflect this dynamic, the context of archaeological research and the relevance of archaeology to the challenges we face today are woven through the entire text. The archaeology of the recent past is also foregrounded to engage students with this rapidly developing area with a new chapter in the first section of the volume. Providing students with the fundamentals of archaeology and engaging them with the work that goes into understanding world prehistory, World Prehistory and Archaeology locates this knowledge in the context of the modern world, recognizing the relevance of archaeology to contemporary issues.

Michael Chazan is a professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Toronto, Canada. He earned his PhD in anthropology at Yale University, USA. Before coming to Toronto, Professor Chazan was a postdoctoral fellow with the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique in Paris, France, and at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Israel. His field experience includes excavations in New Jersey, France, Israel, Jordan, Egypt, and South Africa. Professor Chazan is the author of The Reality of Artifacts: An Archaeological Perspective published by Routledge. He co-directs the Wonderwerk Cave Research Project in the Northern Cape Province, South Africa.

Chapter 1 Getting Started in Archaeology; Chapter 2 Putting the Picture Together; Chapter 3 Early Hominins; Chapter 4 From Homo Erectus to Neanderthals; Chapter 5 The Origin of Modern Humans; Chapter 6 The Peopling of Australia and the New World; Chapter 7 Towers, Villages, and Longhouses; Chapter 8 Mounds and Maize; Chapter 9 A Feast of Diversity; Chapter 10 Complexity Without the State; Chapter 11 Cities, Pyramids, and Palaces; Chapter 12 Locating the Source of Authority; Chapter 13 From City to Empire; Chapter 14 Bringing the Four Parts Together; Chapter 15 Epilogue: Bringing It Back Home; Bibliography; Figures and photo credits; Index.