Environmental archaeology. Principles and methods, 1999, 257 p., 100 ill. n.b., fig., tables, ref., index, br. -

This text presents a comprehensive and concise survey of the scientific techniques which are used in archaeology to analyze the ancient human environments and to give an insight into the context of the distant past. The authors' purpose is to offer an account of the theoretical and methodological aspects of the subject in order to show how the interaction of past peoples with their environment can be investigated at archaeological sites all over the world.The book demonstrates the role of environmental studies within archaeology and shows how early human activity left a distinctive and lasting impression on the environment. The authors assess the complex nature of the ecosystems in which people live and indicate how evidence of that complexity can be recovered in the archaeological record. They also describe in detail the varied methods of investigation and interpretation that can now be employed to create a valid and credible picture of past human ecosystems.