The Young Oxford Book of Archaeology (Young Oxford Books) [Paperback]

Norah Moloney (Author)

Book Description

Series: Young Oxford Books | Publication Date: November 2, 2000

Archaeologists are like detectives investigating the past. They look for clues and analyze their findings in order to unravel the complex story of the everyday lives of our ancestors.
The Young Oxford Book of Archaeology begins by asking: What is archaeology? We find out how archaeologists work. How do they find a site? How do they excavate? How do they record and interpret what they find? We travel through time, stopping off at archaeological sites all over the world--on land, underground, and beneath the sea--from Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania, where the first humans appeared, through Mohenjodaro in Pakistan, where one of the first great cities flourished, to the Viking sites in Canada. The story is brought up-to-date with the Garbage Project, where archaeologists have used people's trash to build up a picture of modern life.
Illustrated with stunning photographs and reconstructions, each case study examines and interprets all the evidence. The result is the essential guide for the archaeologist in all of us.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

A comprehensive reference book geared toward curious young people with an interest in archaeology or anthropology, Paleolithic specialist Norah Moloney's Young Oxford Book of Archaeology is packed with great photographs and illustrations. The book introduces human evolutionary concepts as background for a chronological sequence of significant archaeological discoveries. Well-written chapters cover introductory subjects such as "What Is Archaeology," "When Did It Happen," "Saving Our Heritage," "Underwater Archaeology," and "Ethnoarchaeology." More specific treatments of the advent of agriculture and the ancient civilizations of India, Egypt, Greece, and Mexico show how we get clues about the daily lives of our ancestors. Excellent photographs bring the subject matter to life, from the mammoth-bone houses of ancient Ukraine to the gardens of Xochimilco in southern Mexico City. Thorough and intricate, this book will help an inquisitive 9- to 15-year-old explore the fascinating world of archaeology. --Therese Littleton --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up?Only the most dedicated student of archaeology will be likely to read this comprehensive volume from cover to cover. However, for anyone looking for report topics covering the most significant finds of the 19th and 20th centuries, this will be the place to start. The introductory chapters explain the science used to study ancient remains and how it has been enhanced by technology. Especially worthwhile are the descriptions of various forms of dating materials, ranging from tree rings to carbon 14 to thermoluminescence. Subsequent chapters deal with some of the more famous excavations: Pompeii, Stonehenge, the tomb of Tutankhamun, and the prehistoric cave paintings of France and Spain. The greatest value to young researchers, however, will be the chapters that treat lesser known but just as fascinating discoveries such as the city of Mohenjodaro on the Indus River, one of the first cities to have developed a comprehensive system of plumbing, or the only Viking settlement uncovered in North America at L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland. The stunning full-color photographs and illustrations found on every page will entice browsers of a wide age group, but the text is sophisticated. Only one puzzling omission mars an otherwise exemplary work. No mention is made of the copper age body, commonly known as the Iceman, found in the Alps in 1991.?David N. Pauli, Missoula Public Library, MT
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (November 2, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0199101000
• ISBN-13: 978-0199101009
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,018,265 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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