Anthropology/archaeology Book recomendations

Hi all.
I start my degree at the ripe old age of 37 in july. Just curious. Anyone who works in the field have any must read book recomendations?

Thank you 😊

I don't, but I'm sure Byrd will.

a reply to: Ghostsinthefog

Guns, Germs, and Steel is a standard

a reply to: Ghostsinthefog

Took two years in Uni for it...
Honestly, you will be funneled into a specific field after first year. Depending on the school you chose the program will be run by an archaeologist department specializing in certain areas. I know Laureir was native-centric, and U of Calgary was Mesozoic, McMaster was classics, like I said it all depends on who runs the department.
In first year I wouldn't even bother trying to indulge deep into 'Archaeology' in general, but get ready to be thrown into a world of grade 11 and 12 science rewind, with a crash course into general physical anthropology. Believe it or not it's only recently archaeology has been a science degree, before it was a arts, and you had to take anthropology separately. Well, it was like that in Canada.
My professor at the time for phys. Anthro. recommended I just read the text books for course work thoroughly, the first few chapters of "the cosmos", and a book called Third Chimpanzee, or The third Chimpanzee, I tried finding it, I think I donated it.
Good luck!

a reply to: Ghostsinthefog
Are you talking technical books or informative entertainment

"Bones" by Elaine Dewar is a fantastic look at the arch. and anthropology of the peopleing of the new world.

if yr looking for standard archaeology stuff the aforementioned 'Guns Germs Steel' is a good one.

if yr looking for off-the-wall stuff in keeping with this forum

'Timeless Earth' by Kolosimo
unorthodox look at the past

archive.org...

(not affiliated with Kolosimo or Archive.org etc)

What aspects are you interested in? Fieldwork or theoretical books?

One subject that will never "go out of style" is stratigraphy. Always useful.

Also, depending on where you are and what period you will be homing in on, any treatise on local material culture from the period is very valuable. Just to get an overview. Building techniques, pottery techniques and styles (if applicable) and tools. Understanding how flint and obsidian knapping works, for instance, is invaluable when dealing with lithic cultures.

Finally a much neglected subject is conservation of artefacts in the field. How to prevent degradation in storage, contamination and also safe handling and transport.

All very practical skills, which you will need in the field, but really won't learn until you have gotten dirty for a few seasons :-)

As to theory, there are countless books, but you will no doubt get a curriculum with a nice smorgasbord of authors to delve into.

Good luck in your studies :-)

BT

a reply to: Ghostsinthefog
Won't the college or tutors/lecturers (depending on the system) supply lists of recommended reading? That should be an important part of what they are there for.

If you want a good piece on stratigraphy, it is now possible to read Edward C. Harris' Principles of Archaeological Stratigraphy free on the Internet.

Edward C. Harris is the father of the Harris Matrix, and has been pretty influential in the field in this regard.

You should, of course, concentrate on your assigned curriculum, but since it is such a invaluable tool, insights into stratigraphy will serve you well in the field.

Treat it as a bit of light reading on the side ;-)

Cheers,
BT

Forbidden Archaeology by Michael Cremo

originally posted by: Ghostsinthefog
Hi all.
I start my degree at the ripe old age of 37 in july. Just curious. Anyone who works in the field have any must read book recomendations?

Thank you 😊

WOOHOOO!!!!! Excellent, and congratulations!

No real recommendations without knowing what you'll be going into. Your profs are going to fill up your days with reading material, though. Others have made some excellent suggestions, and I can echo "Guns, Germs, and Steel" (though that's more speculative history than anthropological fieldwork) and stratigraphy is definitely something you need in archaeology.

The field is so huge and so broad that until we know what you're focusing on, we can't make good recommendations. However, being on ATS and researching the topics so you can talk about them coherently is good practice.

My big bugbear was actually formatting papers. I'm a total goofball at it and always have to have someone doublecheck me.