Quantifying 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. Dr. Stephen Shennan is a lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Southampton, where he has taught this subject to first-year students for several years.Shennan, Stephen is the author of 'Quantifying Archaeology' with ISBN 9780126398601 and ISBN 0126398607.