Archaeology: Down to Earth

ARCHAEOLOGY: DOWN TO EARTH focuses on "how" archeology is done and "what" archaeology has to say about the ancient and the contemporary worlds. That focus is revealed in the new examples and features, which are designed to better engage students (e.g., the "What Does it Mean to Me?" box entitled "Reconstructing Climate Change: Global Warming").

Thomas and Kelly present fascinating examples drawn from their own and others' experiences leading excavations. For example, students will gain first-person insight into Thomas's discovery of Nevada's Gatecliff Shelter and read about the search for a lost Franciscan mission in Georgia's fabled Sea Islands.

The authors emphasize the archaeologist's role as manager of cultural heritage resources, informing students of employment possibilities in archaeology and stressing the role of conservation archaeology as a practical extension of the more traditional academic and museum-oriented archaeologies.

Helpful pedagogical features will get students thinking critically and include "What Does it Mean to Me?" boxes highlighting today's key issues and archaeological research on such topics as global warming and human impact on the environment, the role of oral traditions, and the values of descendant communities; "Profile of an Archaeologist" boxes emphasizing the diversity of today's working archaeologists and showing the various ways that archaeologists can make a living; and "Looking Closer" sidebars covering ancillary topics that engage and inform readers on topics such as recommended equipment and course work, personal glimpses into archaeology, or the lighter side of archaeology, such as how sites get their names.