Deze serie duikt in de kern van de archeologische theorie en methodologie, en onderzoekt sleutelgebieden zoals technologie, gender, religie en evolutie. Elk deel biedt onconventionele en tot nadenken stemmende benaderingen om het archeologische spoor uit diverse regio's en tijdperken te interpreteren. Het is bedoeld voor lezers die op zoek zijn naar innovatieve manieren om het verleden te begrijpen en de complexe verbanden tussen menselijk gedrag en materiële cultuur te doorgronden.
The book features a comprehensive collection of scholarly papers that explore human migration, emphasizing the argument against the existence of "pure" races, cultures, and languages. It highlights the significance of migration in understanding human evolutionary change and variation, showcasing insights from internationally recognized experts in the field. The work aims to reestablish the study of migration within the broader context of human development and diversity.
Mesoamerican archaeologists have long been interested in the collapse of political systems or civilizations but have been slow to undertake detailed abandonment analyses of specific settlements. The Archaeology of Settlement Abandonment in Middle America explores some of the old questions in Middle American archaeology in light of the newer theoretical approach provided by abandonment studies. Unlike much of the abandonment work previously done in the American Southwest, a number of contributions to this volume examine relatively large population centers. Among the original contributions in this collection is the discovery that deposits resulting from termination rituals are more common than previously thought. Several chapters point out that structures and places can continue to serve ritual functions even after abandonment. Another finding is that the causes of abandonment—warfare, economic marginalization, or natural cataclysm—are likely to have varied effects on different social groups, which in turn sheds light on occupational histories in specific sites preceding major abandonments.
