Environmental Archaeology: Approaches

Environmental archaeology 'concerns the study of vegetation... and animals..., which lived in association with the people of the past, and the way in which humans interacted with these other living organisms'. It is also 'about reconstructing the physicality of the landscapes in which people lived, hunted and farmed'. This excellent, 'uncomplicated' introduction discusses what environmental archaeology is, why it is studied and what contribution it can make to reconstructing the past. Individual chapters focus on how the field of study developed, its key principles, techniques and approaches, and how environmental archaeologists reach and communicate their interpretations of the evidence. Although there are many other similar introductions, this one is not geared towards students studying environmental archaeology, but to those interested in the subject. The well-written text is accompanied by lots of illustrations, diagrams and summaries.