Your hands-on guide to this fascinating science of history and cultureAre you amazed by archaeology? This friendly guide introduces you to this intriguing field and the people who reconstruct our past, clearing up common misconceptions and explaining how we learn about ancient human societies. You'll see how to conduct archaeological fieldwork and unearth little-known details about some of the world's biggest discoveries!* Understand what archaeology is and isn't - discover its history, its different forms, and the reasoning behind its method* Learn how archaeologists think and work - see how they use science to reconstruct the past and why they argue over significant finds* Go on-site - know what to pack for a field expedition, where to dig, how to survey and excavate, and ways to handle ethical issues involved in archaeological investigation* Your real work begins - process, study, and analyze materials in order to tell the story of past human behavior* Expand your modern world view - examine the major archaeological finds to understand what they tell us about today's society* Get involved - join societies, volunteer on digs, and study to become a professional archaeologistOpen the book and find:* Survey and excavation techniques described in detail* Post-fieldwork procedures, from cleaning and dating to storing artifacts* The different theoretical approaches of modern archaeology* The story of human milestones, from the first people through modern times* Instructive case studies of actual digs* How to interpret and display the past from different viewpoints* The latest sensational finds and controversies

Introduction. Part I: Archaeology: Seeing Past People Today. Chapter 1: What Archaeology Is. Chapter 2: What Archaeology Isn't and Why That's Important. Chapter 3: So You Want to Do Archaeology? What Kind? Chapter 4: How Archaeologists Think and Work. Part II: Archaeological Fieldwork: The Adventure Begins! Chapter 5: Supplies and Equipment You Need. Chapter 6: Archaeological Survey: Finding Where to Dig. Chapter 7: The Archaeological Dig. Chapter 8: Laws, Ethics, and Safety in Field Archaeology. Part III: After the Dig: You've Only Just Begun. Chapter 9: Processing Excavated Materials in the Laboratory. Chapter 10: Studying and Analyzing What You've Excavated. Chapter 11: Reconstructing the Past: Piecing Together the Puzzles. Part IV: Archaeology Reconstructs the Whole Human Past. Chapter 12: Early Humans: Original Cave Guys & Gals. Chapter 13: The Last 10,000 Years: Climate Change and Early Food Production. Chapter 14: Ancient States. Chapter 15: Historic Archaeology: Reinterpreting the More Recent Past. Part V: Archaeology Is for Everyone. Chapter 16: The Uses of Archaeological Findings. Chapter 17: How You Can Explore Archaeology. Chapter 18: Controversies and Sensational Findings. Part VI: The Part of Tens. Chapter 19: Ten-Plus Archaeological Places to Visit in the U.S. Chapter 20: More Than Ten Archaeological Sites to Visit Outside the United States. Chapter 21: Ten Fun Archaeological Experiences. Appendix. Index.