Skip to content

Latest commit

 

History

History
749 lines (466 loc) · 69.9 KB

File metadata and controls

749 lines (466 loc) · 69.9 KB

Archaeological Fields and Methods

A curated collection of archaeological disciplines, methods, and techniques, along with key resources for learning, research, and tools. This repository aims to serve archaeologists, students, and enthusiasts by providing comprehensive knowledge and open-source resources on various fields of archaeology.

Introduction

This repository compiles useful resources across a wide range of archaeological fields and methods. From traditional excavation techniques to cutting-edge digital archaeology, we’ve organized key references, courses, tools, and guides in one place to support both academic and practical archaeological work.

It includes:

  • Disciplines A-Z: A complete list of archaeological fields with definitions, books, courses, and societies.
  • Methods and Techniques: Will include detailed methods like geophysical survey, stratigraphy, and 3D modelling etc. in the future.

The repository is regularly updated and contributions are highly encouraged!


Main Content Structure


Disciplines A-Z

A comprehensive alphabetical list of archaeological fields, including descriptions, courses to study, recommended readings, and relevant societies.


Aerial Archaeology

Definition: Aerial Archaeology is the study and discovery of archaeological sites and landscapes through the use of aerial photographs, satellite imagery, drones, and other remote sensing technologies to detect and map archaeological features.

Courses/Study Programs

Research Companies and Institutes

Key Books/Articles

  • Air Photo Interpretation for Archaeologists by David R. Wilson (1982): A comprehensive introduction to aerial photography and its role in archaeological surveys.
  • Seeing Beneath the Soil: Prospecting Methods in Archaeology by Oliver Anthony Clark (1997): Explores the integration of aerial photography with geophysical methods to detect archaeological sites.
  • Remote Sensing in Archaeology edited by James Wiseman and Farouk El-Baz (2007): A collection of essays on the application of remote sensing technologies in archaeological exploration.

Journals/Journal Series

  • AARGnews: The bi-annual newsletter of the Aerial Archaeology Research Group, providing updates, research articles, and discussions related to aerial archaeology.
  • Journal of Archaeological Science: Publishes research on the application of scientific techniques, including remote sensing, in archaeology.
  • International Journal of Remote Sensing: Features research on remote sensing techniques, including their application to archaeology.

Relevant Podcasts/Videos/Newsletters/Blogs

Conferences

Societies/Online Groups/Forums

Archaeological Illustration

Definition: Archaeological Illustration is the practice of creating visual representations of archaeological materials, including artifacts, structures, and sites, to aid in documentation, analysis, and dissemination of archaeological findings.

Courses/Study Programs

Research Companies and Institutes

Key Books/Articles

  • Archaeological Illustration (Cambridge Manuals in Archaeology) by Lesley Adkins and Roy Adkins (1989): A comprehensive guide covering the history, techniques, and applications of illustration in archaeology.
  • Approaches to Archaeological Illustration: A Handbook by Mélanie Steiner (2005): Provides insights into various methods and challenges in archaeological illustration, serving as a valuable resource for students and professionals.
  • Archaeological Illustration and Publication chapter The Archaeologist's Laboratory in by E. B. Banning (2020): Discusses the role of illustrations in archaeological publications and the conventions used in artifact depiction.

Journals/Journal Series

Relevant Podcasts/Videos/Newsletters/Blogs

Conferences

Societies/Online Groups/Forums

Bioarchaeology

Definition: Bioarchaeology is the study of human remains in an archaeological context, focusing on understanding health, diet, demography, and cultural practices of past populations through skeletal analysis, and sometimes soft tissue preservation.

Related discipline: Osteoarchaeology, which focuses specifically on the study of bones in archaeological contexts.

Courses/Study Programs

Research Companies and Institutes

Key Books/Articles

  • Human Remains in Archaeology by Charlotte Roberts: A detailed introduction to bioarchaeology and the analysis of human remains.
  • The Bioarchaeology of Metabolic Bone Disease by Megan Brickley: Provides insights into metabolic diseases and their effect on bones in archaeological contexts.
  • Bioarchaeology: Interpreting Behavior from the Human Skeleton by Clark Spencer Larsen: A foundational text in bioarchaeology linking human behavior and skeletal remains.
  • Bioarchaeology Overview from ScienceDirect: An excellent introduction to the field of bioarchaeology.

Journals/Journal Series

Relevant Podcasts/Videos/Newsletters/Blogs

Conferences

Societies/Online Groups/Forums

Classical Archaeology

Definition: Classical Archaeology is the study of the material culture of ancient Greece and Rome, including their art, architecture, inscriptions, and everyday objects, as well as the wider Mediterranean world during antiquity.

Related disciplines: Art History, which studies ancient Greek and Roman art and architecture; Epigraphy, which focuses on ancient inscriptions and texts.

Courses/Study Programs

Research Companies and Institutes

Key Books/Articles

  • The Archaeology of Greece by William R. Biers: A comprehensive introduction to the archaeology of ancient Greece, covering major sites and discoveries.
  • Roman Art and Archaeology by Mark D. Fullerton: A detailed exploration of Roman art, architecture, and material culture.
  • Classical Archaeology edited by Susan E. Alcock and Robin Osborne: A collection of essays discussing key themes and approaches in the study of Greek and Roman archaeology.

Journals/Journal Series

  • American Journal of Archaeology: One of the leading journals in classical archaeology, publishing research on the material culture of the ancient Mediterranean.
  • Journal of Roman Archaeology: Publishes research on Roman archaeology, including architecture, inscriptions, and urbanism.
  • Hesperia: The journal of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, focusing on classical archaeology and related fields.

Relevant Podcasts/Videos/Newsletters/Blogs

Conferences

Societies/Online Groups/Forums

Digital Archaeology

Definition: Digital Archaeology is the application of digital tools and technologies such as 3D modelling, virtual reality, and digital databases to archaeological research and analysis.

Courses/Study Programs

Research Companies and Institutes

Key Books/Articles

  • Virtual Archaeology by Maurizio Forte: A foundational text discussing the role of digital tools in reconstructing and interpreting archaeological sites.
  • 3D Digital Archaeology by Nicoló Dell’Unto: Focuses on the use of 3D tools for documenting and analyzing archaeological contexts.
  • Digital Archaeology: Bridging Method and Theory edited by Thomas L. Evans and Patrick Daly: A collection of essays exploring how digital technologies can transform archaeological methodologies and theories.

Journals/Journal Series

Relevant Podcasts/Videos/Newsletters/Blogs

Conferences

Societies/Online Groups/Forums

Environmental Archaeology

Definition: Environmental Archaeology is the study of past human interaction with the environment through the analysis of biological remains (plants, animals, insects), soils, and sediments. It seeks to understand how ancient societies adapted to and modified their natural surroundings.

Related disciplines: Palaeoecology, which studies ancient ecosystems and climate change through environmental proxies.

Courses/Study Programs

Research Companies and Institutes

Key Books/Articles

Journals/Journal Series

Relevant Podcasts/Videos/Newsletters/Blogs

Conferences

Societies/Online Groups/Forums

Experimental Archaeology

Definition: Experimental Archaeology involves recreating ancient tools, techniques, and processes to better understand how they were used and how past societies lived. It helps to interpret archaeological finds through hands-on experiments and testing hypotheses derived from the archaeological record.

Related disciplines: Ethnoarchaeology, which studies living cultures to draw parallels with archaeological data; Prehistoric Archaeology, which often involves reconstructing ancient technologies and subsistence strategies.

Courses/Study Programs

Research Companies and Institutes

Key Books/Articles

  • Experimental Archaeology: Making, Understanding, Story-telling by Penny Cunningham (2008): Focuses on how experimental archaeology contributes to our understanding of ancient societies through practical recreation.
  • Reconstructing Ancient Linen Body Armor: Unraveling the Linothorax Mystery by Alicia Aldrete, Scott M. Bartell, Gregory S. Aldrete (2013): An experimental approach to recreating ancient Greek body armor.

Journals/Journal Series

  • EXARC Journal: A peer-reviewed journal focusing on experimental archaeology, open-air museums, and the reconstruction of ancient technologies.
  • Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory: Publishes experimental studies that test archaeological hypotheses and reconstruct ancient techniques.
  • Antiquity: Regularly features articles on experimental archaeology, including field experiments and technology reconstructions.

Relevant Podcasts/Videos/Newsletters/Blogs

Conferences

Societies/Online Groups/Forums

  • EXARC (International): A global network of experimental archaeologists and open-air museums, promoting collaboration and research in experimental archaeology.
  • Facebook: Experimental Archaeology Group: A private online community where researchers and enthusiasts share experimental archaeology projects and results.
  • [Facebook: Experimental archaeology Group](Experimental archaeology: A public online community.
  • Facebook: UCD Experimental Group: UCD specific experimental archaeology group.
  • Reddit: r/exarcchaeology: A forum for discussing experimental archaeology, sharing experiments, and learning about ancient technologies.

Graffiti Archaeology

Definition: Graffiti Archaeology is the study of ancient and modern graffiti in archaeological contexts, focusing on understanding social, political, and cultural expressions of individuals and communities through inscriptions, murals, and other forms of graffiti.

Related disciplines: Epigraphy, which focuses on the study of inscriptions in ancient languages; Art History, which includes the analysis of visual art forms, including graffiti.

Courses/Study Programs

  • The Archaeology of Graffiti (University of Edinburgh, UK): This course offers an interactive overview of public and private markings from prehistory to the present day, including a guided walk around Edinburgh to explore historic and contemporary graffiti.

  • Exploring Graffiti: Combining Landscape Archaeology and Data Science (University of Washington, USA): This course examines Seattle's graffiti through the lenses of archaeology and data science, teaching students to collect, analyze, and interpret graffiti data.

  • MA Contemporary Art and Archaeology (University of the Highlands and Islands, UK): This master's program uniquely links contemporary art practice with archaeological study, encouraging interdisciplinary approaches to creative practice and research.

Research Companies and Institutes

  • project INDIGO (Vienna, Austria - Europe): Involved in the documentation and interpretation of contemporary graffiti at the Donaukanal in Vienna, Austria.

  • Graffiti Research Lab (International): Focuses on the study and preservation of contemporary and historical graffiti using digital tools.

Key Books/Articles

  • Wild Signs: Graffiti in Archaeology and History edited by Jeff Oliver and Tim Neal: This volume explores the role of graffiti in various historical and archaeological contexts, offering insights into its significance across different cultures and time periods.

  • Graffiti Archaeology by Jordan Ralph: This reference work entry discusses the importance of graffiti as material evidence in archaeology, tracing its tradition from ancient Greece and Rome to contemporary societies.

Journals/Journal Series

Relevant Podcasts/Videos/Newsletters/Blogs

  • Writing on the Wall: An article from Archaeology Magazine discussing the Graffiti Archaeology Project and its approach to documenting the evolution of graffiti over time.

  • Graffiti Archaeologists!: A blog post by Doug's Archaeology featuring videos from a conference session on graffiti archaeology, discussing contemporary and historical graffiti studies.

  • Graffiti Archaeology: A video exploring the Graffiti Archaeology Project, which documents the evolution of graffiti art over time through photographs.

Conferences

Societies/Online Groups/Forums

Landscape Archaeology

Definition: Landscape Archaeology is the study of the ways in which people in the past constructed and used the environment around them. It involves analyzing the spatial relationships between archaeological sites and their surrounding landscapes to understand human interaction with the environment over time.

Related disciplines: Geoarchaeology, which focuses on the geological aspects of archaeological sites; Environmental Archaeology, which studies past human interaction with the environment through biological remains.

Courses/Study Programs

Research Companies and Institutes

Key Books/Articles

  • Landscape – Place – People: the values of spatial terminology in heritage and beyond: Discovery, Innovation and Science in the Historic Environment by Jonathan Last (2020): The document offers a discussion of relevant terms used to describe and explain selected spatial concepts and phenomena relevant to the historic environment.
  • Landscape Archaeology: Reading and Interpreting the American Historical Landscape by Rebecca Yamin and Karen Bescherer Metheny (1996): Provides insights into interpreting historical landscapes through archaeological methods.

Journals/Journal Series

  • Antiquity: An international journal of archaeology that frequently includes articles on landscape archaeology.

Relevant Podcasts/Videos/Newsletters/Blogs

Conferences

Societies/Online Groups/Forums

Osteoarchaeology

Definition: Osteoarchaeology is the study of human and animal bones in archaeological contexts, focusing on interpreting past human behavior, health, diet, and demographic patterns from skeletal remains.

Related discipline: Bioarchaeology, which includes a broader study of human remains, incorporating soft tissue analysis and environmental context.

Courses/Study Programs

Research Companies and Institutes

Key Books/Articles

Journals/Journal Series

Relevant Podcasts/Videos/Newsletters/Blogs

  • YouTube: Osteoarchaeology: Human stories from the bones: An nterview with Becky Gowland on osteoarchaeology, covering excavation, analysis, and interpretation of skeletal remains.

Conferences

Societies/Online Groups/Forums

Prehistoric Archaeology (Prehistory)

Definition: Prehistoric Archaeology, or Prehistory, is the study of human societies before the advent of written records. It focuses on material culture such as stone tools, pottery, and art, to understand the lifestyles, technologies, and environments of ancient peoples from the Paleolithic to the Iron Age.

Related disciplines: Palaeolithic Archaeology, which specifically focuses on the earliest periods of human history, and Environmental Archaeology, which looks at the interaction between prehistoric societies and their environments.

Courses/Study Programs

Research Companies and Institutes

Key Books/Articles

  • Prehistory: The Making of the Human Mind by Colin Renfrew (2007): Explores the development of early human cognition and culture through material remains.

Journals/Journal Series

  • Antiquity: One of the leading journals for prehistoric archaeology, publishing research on early human societies.
  • Journal of Archaeological Science: Frequently publishes articles on prehistoric technologies, environments, and material culture.
  • Journal of World Prehistory: Focuses on global perspectives in prehistoric archaeology, from the Paleolithic to the Neolithic and beyond.

Relevant Podcasts/Videos/Newsletters/Blogs

  • Podcast: Prehistory Guys: Covers prehistoric archaeology, focusing on the Stone Age, Megalithic monuments, and the development of early human societies.

Conferences

Societies/Online Groups/Forums

Public Archaeology

Definition: Public Archaeology is the practice of engaging the public in archaeological research, interpretation, and preservation. It focuses on making archaeology accessible and relevant to communities through education, outreach, heritage management, and collaboration with local populations.

Related disciplines: Heritage Management, which deals with the conservation and presentation of cultural heritage, and Community Archaeology, which involves active participation of communities in archaeological projects.

Courses/Study Programs

Research Companies and Institutes

Key Books/Articles

  • Public Archaeology by Nick Merriman (1972): A comprehensive introduction to the field, exploring how archaeology can be communicated to the public and the role of heritage in society.
  • Key Concepts in Public Archaeology edited by Gabriel Moshenska (2017): Examines the relationship between archaeologists and the public, focusing on outreach, education, and the ethics of public engagement.

Journals/Journal Series

Relevant Podcasts/Videos/Newsletters/Blogs

Conferences

Societies/Online Groups/Forums

Zooarchaeology

Definition: Zooarchaeology is the study of animal remains (bones, shells, and other remnants) in archaeological contexts, helping to interpret past human-animal relationships, subsistence strategies, and environmental changes.

Related disciplines: Osteoarchaeology, which focuses on the study of human and animal bones; Bioarchaeology, which includes the study of human remains in archaeological contexts.

Courses/Study Programs

Research Companies and Institutes

Key Books/Articles

  • Zooarchaeology by Elizabeth J. Reitz and Elizabeth S. Wing (2008): A fundamental introduction to the analysis of animal remains in archaeological research.
  • The Analysis of Animal Bones from Archaeological Sites by Richard G. Klein and Kathryn Cruz-Uribe (1984): A classic text covering methods and interpretations in zooarchaeology.
  • An introduction to Zooarchaeology by Diane Gifford-Gonzalez (2018): Discusses the processes that affect animal bones from death to their discovery in archaeological contexts.

Journals/Journal Series

Relevant Podcasts/Videos/Newsletters/Blogs

  • Podcast: ArchaeoAnimals: A podcast focusing on differen zooarchaeological aspects hosted by Alex Fitzpatrick and Simona Falanga.

Conferences

Societies/Online Groups/Forums


Methods and Techniques

Detailed breakdowns of key archaeological methods, including definitions, study resources, software, and media to explore.

Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) in Archaeology

Definition: Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) is a non-invasive geophysical method that uses radar pulses to image the subsurface. In archaeology, GPR helps detect and map buried structures, artifacts, and features without excavation.

Applications:

  • Locating and mapping buried structures such as foundations, walls, and roads
  • Identifying graves, burial sites, and other subsurface features
  • Assessing stratigraphy and soil composition to understand site formation processes
  • Monitoring and preserving archaeological sites by detecting changes over time

Advantages and Limitations:

Advantages:

  • Non-destructive method
  • Provides high-resolution subsurface images
  • Rapid data acquisition over large areas

Limitations:

  • Depth penetration affected by soil composition and moisture
  • Complex data interpretation requiring expertise
  • Equipment and operational costs may be high

Key Literature:

  • "Ground-Penetrating Radar for Archaeology" by Lawrence B. Conyers (2013)
  • "Seeing Beneath the Soil: Prospecting Methods in Archaeology" by Oliver Anthony Clark (1997)
  • "Remote Sensing in Archaeology" edited by James Wiseman and Farouk El-Baz (2007)

Training and Courses:

Technological Tools:

  • Reflexw: Software for processing and interpreting GPR and seismic data
  • GPR for Archaeology: Resources and tools for collecting, processing, and interpreting GPR data in archaeological contexts

Online Resources:

  • PROSPECT: An international academic network for research, education, and outreach in archaeological prospection
  • Archaeological Prospection Community: A community within the European Association of Archaeologists focused on non-intrusive archaeological investigation methods

Regulatory Guidelines:

  • Users must ensure compliance with local regulations concerning electromagnetic emissions and obtain necessary permits when conducting GPR surveys

Contributing

Want to contribute? We welcome contributions! Please check the CONTRIBUTING.md file for guidelines on how to get involved. You can also submit issues and suggestions through the issue tracker.


License

This repository is licensed under the MIT License.