As in “real” archaeology, the data provided are often scanty, poorly reported, and misinterpreted. Students must use careful judgment in coming to conclusions about various problems in diverse settings around the world—North and South America, the Near East, Europe, Africa, the Pacific, and the mysterious Gonbwanaland. The authors cover a wide range of topics, including culture history, trade and warfare, stratigraphy, ritual behavior, site formation processes, paleoenvironments, the origins of agriculture, research design, ethnoarchaeology, and the ethics of archaeological research.
The exercises in The Next Archaeology Workbook are sure to provoke lively classroom debate and discussion. It will be invaluable as an aid in teaching archaeology to advanced undergraduates or beginning graduate students.