Product Description

This fourth edition of a highly popular title for beginners covers all the major topics in archaeology, and has a new regularly updated companion website with information and links.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #21255 in Books
• Published on: 2002-06-27
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 334 pages

From the Author
This book also has its own website...
The book is aimed at people without much prior knowledge of archaeology who might find the size and detail of some other textbooks rather overwhelming. If you are a hard-up student, take a careful look at this book and its alternatives, and decide which one is written at the right level for you. I'm always pleased to hear from readers and website users who have suggestions for additions and/or improvements for future versions.

From the Back Cover
Archaeology: An Introduction has proved a popular and comprehensive book for beginners in the subject since its first publication in 1983. In this substantially enlarged and updated fourth edition Kevin Greene takes the reader through the history of archaeology, its working methods and the latest ways of interpreting the past. In a lucid and accessible style he explains the discovery and excavation of sites, outlines major dating methods and scientific techniques, examines current theories and looks at the way the past is presented to the public.
Features include:
( an introductory overview for each chapter, key references for each section and an annotated guide to further reading
a glossary, 133 illustrations (of which 66 are new), a comprehensive bibliography and detailed index
a redesigned upgrade of the books electronic companion at www.staff.ncl.ac.uk/kevin.greene/wintro/

Customer Reviews

Lightweight and unsatisfactory
I agree with the reviewers "Not Great" and "A Waste of Money". This is a set book for the 1st year of the Open University Classics MA, which I am currently taking, and I find it very lightweight and frustrating. There is nothing to get your teeth into - no case studies (unlike the Renfrew and Bahn book) and nothing to get you thinking and working at the subject. Cannot understand why the OU chose this as their set book rather than Renfrew and Bahn. To be fair to Greene I suspect that the OU course designers didn't even read this book as they refer in their course notes to a 'case study' of the Roman fort at Corbridge which simply isn't in the book - as I said there are no case studies. To any budding archaeology students, if you have a choice go for the Renfrew and Bahn book and give this one a miss.

A good all round synopsis
This book does not go to deeply into the subject in most instances but it does cover a wide range of subjects and works well with the accompanying website. Yes the Renfrew and Bahn book is much more comprehensive but nowhere near as easy to read.

Get it, it has to be one of the core books along with Renfrew and Bahn

Damn good book, by a damn good lecturer
Contrary, to the belief of most of the reviewers it is a good book and very useful to theose studying Archaeology, it is especially useful if you happen to study at Newcatle Uni where Kevin Greene himself works and lectures, especially if he takes all of your Archaeology Lectures, as he does with us, as the book ties in with the scheme of work. Even so i bought this book long before i decided to go to Newcastle and it helped me to understand the subject better. Personally this has to be on every archaeology students bookshelf, a winner.