Archaeology: A Brief Introduction

by Brian M. Fagan

Brief and highly engaging, this introduction to the fundamental principles of method and theory in archaeology begins with the goals of archaeology, then goes on to consider the basic concepts of culture, time, and space, and the finding and excavation of archaeological sites.

Genres: Archaeology, History, Nonfiction, Anthropology, College, Education, Reference

380 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Brian Murray Fagan was a British author of popular archaeology books and a professor emeritus of Anthropology at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Reviews

[Tanya]

This was my text book for my Introduction to Archaeology class and is the only text book I have ever enjoyed reading in my life. This is a book that I would pick up on an average day to read for fun. Brian Fagan's insights and storytelling are what make this book so great. He takes what could be tedious and mind-numbingly dull information and makes it enjoyable and even humorous.

[Evan]

Avsnittene er korte og konsise, boka har god oppbygning, og et solid stikkordregister. Det er litt vel mye fokus på usa og søramerika - skulle ønske det var skrevet en europeisk versjon ...

[Jacob Lehman]

Something of a textbook, but good for the layperson who wants to understand the discipline of archaeology and its findings.

I read this as part of my project to read one book from every aisle of Olin Library at Cornell; you can read my reactions to other books from the project here: https://jacobklehman.com/

A fuller review/reaction will follow on my website.

[lohengrin]

Assigned for class and I felt like it was a good overview of the study, methods, technology, and history of the discipline. I learned a lot.

[Jo]

Loved this read in my first year of Archaeo degree, so bought a second hand copy to have on my shelf.

[Brendan Steinhauser]

This book is a great primer on archaeology. It's concise, interesting, and well-written. The book is worth a read for anyone interested in the discipline.

[George]

i want to know the accidental discovery in archaeology