Discussing theoretical perspectives on the archaeological study of settlements, this volume revisits a central topic of study in archaeology and anthropology, which should be of interest to historical geographers and others.

Part 1 Introduction: introduction. Part 2 How can we problematize working definitions for settlement studies: settling on sites - constraining concepts, John Carman; the site concept and the practice of intensive surface survey in the Aegean - space, place and representation, Jamie Merrick; archaeology, settlement and territory - re-evaluating temporal and spatial criteria in the reproduction of social space, James McGlad; redefining Neolithic settlement in the central Mediterranean region, Robin Skeates. Part 3 How can we address domestic practice from archaeological remains - unearthing settlements in Early Bronze Age Wessex, Joanna Bruck; settlements as monuments and homes - the identification and social character of settlements in Pre-Nuragic Sardinia, Christopher Hayden; writing histories of occupation - perceptions of settlement in later Epipalaeolithic and early Neolithic Levant, Brian Boyd. Part 4 What is a contextual interpretation of settlement: debating marginality - archaeologists on the edge?, Robert Young and Trevor Simmonds; houses or households? Prehistoric agrarian activities and settlement remains, Melissa Goodman; the role of settlements in interpreting the Polish Iron Age, Hanna Zawadska. Part 5 Can we identify principles of the organization of society over generations: what is a tell? Settlement in early agricultural southeast Europe, Douglass Bailey; rebuilding the world in Jomon Japan, Simon Kaner; moving places - thoughts on the character of the settlement record in the Neolithic of southern Britain, Joshua Pollard; settlement aspects of interaction between Basarwa hunter - gatherers and Bamangwato farmers in Botswana, Kathy Fewster.