Customer Reviews

Field Methods in Archaeology

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

The three recent comments on FIELD METHODS, 7th ed. need some clarification. Yes, the book is long, very long. I didn't know we had any statistics in it (reviewer #1)! It is not comparable to Joukowsky, as her book, like our 6th ed., Hester, et al. l975, is now badly out of date. The 7th ed., l997, is designed as (l) a text, especially for field schools (2) a reference on contemporary approaches to field archaeology. It is not a trade book, especially since Mayfield does not discount to bookstores. The long-winded aspect comes from an effort to review contemporary archaeology, which is changing rapidly and covers a broad area of inquiry. The academic review cards received by Mayfield after publication were overwhelmingly positive. Thus, the book appeals largely to professionals and active avocational archaeologists. It is not a "light read" on the glorious discoveries of archaeology.

As a person interested in learning more about archaeology field methods, I found this book had good explanations of some very puzzling processes. It also makes a great textbook and was used to prepare students for a field school by professors at UT Dallas. Good book - but you may have to read it over a couple of times in order to fully grasp all the knowledge presented.

I am a professional archaeologist. I had previously used Joukowsky for field schools in the past, but to be honest it is not as useful as it used to be. This book is now my replacement for Joukowsky. It is not for the casual reader and the writing style is not intended to entertain, but to educate. This book has everything you need for field schools, and certaily for the serious avocational archaeologist it will guide you well. It is long because modern methods are far more complex then they used to be and to cover all the essentials requires a book of this length.

If you are looking for an entertaining, easy read - this book is not for you. If you want to learn about the current best practices in field methodology, you would be hard-pressed to do better then this.

This is a comprehensive text book, not of the "Archaeology for Dummies" variety. More than a couple universities use this book as their standard text for senior level courses in archaeological field methods. Be prepared to learn rather than entertained...it's a serious work. As for the writing style, most text books could stand to be re-written by some best-selling author, but had to give this one five stars just to bring its score up from the absurd two and a half it is currently rated at.

This is an excellent book for a student of archaeological methods. If you are looking for light reading, as some of the earlier reviews must have been, then look somewhere else.

Fantastic book! Very clear and very comprehensive. If you are serious about archaeology, you'll enjoy this book. If you're a hobbyist or have comprehension issues, you might not enjoy it. Highly recommended.

Looking at this book there is a version printing in 1997, that sells for a a lot less(8 dollars for the used instead of 68) and is also the 7th edition, just a heads up if you need to get this book like I do for a class, Im not sure if anything at all is different about it besides an updated cover

I have read "A Complete Manual of Field Archaeology" by Martha Joukowsky, ISBN= 0-13-162164-5 and 0-13-162156-4 (pbk). It is now out of print. I wish some bona fide expert could comment about the Hester book as a replacement for Joukowsky.

Although the authors were knowledgeable, they were not anywhere near the writer that she was. It is long winded and at times dificult to follow. It is a shame that Joukowsky's book is now out of print.

The book had enough facts, figures and information to be a valid source of knowledge for the topic, however it was at times hard to follow. The statistics were thrown out at the reader without any preparation or easing into the introduced subject. It went from one topic to another without a smooth transition. Their transitions were choppy, leaving the reader feeling unsettled and at times, confused.