This text makes all aspects of archaeology accessible to a broad audience of the general scientific community, educators, students, and avocational archaeologists. It encompasses all aspects of archaeology, including the nature and diversity of archaeology as a scientific discipline, the practice of archaeology, archaeology in the everyday world, and the future of the discipline. Featured in the Encyclopedia of Archaeology are articles by leading authors that summarize archaeological knowledge at the beginning the 21st century, highlighting important sites and issues, and tracing the development of prehistoric cultures around the globe.

This text concentrates on the post-1400 period as well as containing generic explanations of historical archaeology where needed. It is compiled by over 120 experts from around the world and contains more than 370 entries covering important concepts and sites.

This work brings together the myriad strands and the great temporal and spatial breadth of the field into two thematically organized volumes. In twenty-six essays, this Companion explores the origins, aims, methods and problems of archaeology. Each essay is written by a scholar of international standing and illustrations complement the text.

An encyclopedia of terms, places, people, and issues relevant to Caribbean archaeology, past and present. Beginning with the earliest native migrations and moving through contemporary issues of heritage management, the contributors consider colonization, adaptation, and evolution while embracing newer research techniques, such as geoinformatics, archaeometry, paleodemography, DNA analysis, and seafaring simulations. Entries are cross-referenced so readers can efficiently access data on a variety of related topics. The introduction includes a survey of the various archaeological periods in the Caribbean, as well as a discussion of the region's geography, climate, topography, and oceanography.

This encyclopedia opens with a general map of the region and a chronology of periods and dynasties, providing a context for the entries. The first section of the volume comprises 14 overviews which explore the history and significance of each period. The main body of the text offers more than 300 alphabetically organized entries. Areas covered include: Artefacts - glass, jewellery, sculpture; Archaeological practices - dating techniques, representational evidence, textual sources biographies - Howard Carter, Gertrude Caton Thompson, Gaston Maspero; Buildings - cult temples, private tombs, pyramid complexes; Geographical features - agriculture, climate, irrigation; Sites - Abydos, Dakhla Oasis, Thebes; Social organization - kingship, law, taxation.