Quantifying Archaeology

the Second Edition Of This Popular Textbook Introduces Archaeology Students To The Use Of Statistics In Their Subject. Based On The Author's Long-running Undergraduate Course, It Explains The Relevant Areas Of Statistics In Terms That Archaeology Students Can Easily Assimilate. This New Edition Includes A Wider Range Of Topics Presented In Greater Depth, Reflecting The Subject's Growing Importance Within Archaeology. Reconstructing and exploring the past through archaeological evidence is not an easy or trivial task, and an absolute prerequisite for progress is the recognition of patterns in archaeological data. Rarely are these immediately apparent in the masses of material which archaeologists uncover. Quantitative methods of data analysis provide an indispensible means of detecting such patterning in a systematic and organised fashion. This book introduces archaeologists to the most important quantitative methods, from the initial description of archaeological data to techniques of multivariate analysis. These are presented in the context of familiar problems in archaeological practice, an approach designed to illustrate their relevance and to overcome the fear of mathematics from which archaeologists often suffer. The book arises from courses which the author has given over a number of years from first-year to Master's level. Through worked examples it will help students understand how archaeological problems can be posed in quantitative terms; how to use basic quantitative methods to analyse archaeological data and how to realise when advise from experts is needed to solve specific complex problems. "Quantitative reasoning is central to archaeology: quantitative methods are a vital part of every archaeologist's mental tool kit. This new edition of Stephen Shennan's extremely popular textbook introduces students to the basic quantitative methods used within the discipline as well as some of the more advanced methods." "Shennan explains the relevant areas of statistics in terms easily assimilated by archaeology students; instead of introducing statistics as it is taught in other disciplines, he draws his working examples from archaeological sources. Exercises at the end of each chapter also directly relate to issues likely to arise within the study of archaeology."--Jacket