Overview

Historical Archaeology offers students a comprehensive and accessible introduction to historical archaeology and highlights the regional, cultural, and ethnic diversity of the modern historical period. This volume covers key methods and concepts, including fundamental theories and principles, the history of the field, and basic definitions; it also includes a practical look at career prospects for interested readers. It discusses central topics of archaeological research such as time and space, survey and excavation methods, and analytical techniques, encouraging readers to consider the possible meanings of artifacts. This fourth edition has been heavily revised to reflect the changes to the discipline. As well as updating the case studies, the many revisions include the following: information on new technological approaches in surveying, excavating, and documenting sites and buildings; a focus on global cultural preservation and heritage; updates on maritime and underwater archaeology; and new additions on conflict archaeology. A new chapter on Indigenous and underserved community voices in archaeology, drawing on recent scholarship, has been added to reflect the importance of this topic in current teaching. Drawing on the author’s extensive experience as an historical archaeologist, Historical Archaeology continues to be an ideal resource for students studying this rapidly expanding global field, demonstrating the real importance of this subject to our understanding of the world in which we live today.

Full Product Details

Author:   Charles E. Orser, Jr. (Vanderbilt University, USA)
Publisher:   Taylor & Francis Ltd
Imprint:   Routledge
Edition:   4th edition
ISBN:  

9781041040873

ISBN 10:   1041040873
Pages:   372
Publication Date:   07 May 2026
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Tertiary & Higher Education
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Forthcoming
Availability:   Not yet available  
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Language:   English, English

Table of Contents

List of figures; Preface; Acknowledgments; Section I: Foundations of Historical Archaeology – Chapter 1 What Is Historical Archaeology?; Chapter 2 A Brief History of Historical Archaeology; Chapter 3 Culture, History, and Archaeological Sites; Chapter 4 Time and Space; Section II: Doing Historical Archaeology – Chapter 5 Finding and Surveying Sites in Historical Archaeology; Chapter 6 Pre-Excavation Fieldwork: Documents, Interviews, Buildings; Chapter 7 Archaeological Fieldwork and Laboratory Analysis; Chapter 8 Interpreting Artifacts in Historical Archaeology; Chapter 9 Public Historical Archaeology; Section III: Interpretation in Historical Archaeology – Chapter 10 Theoretical Perspectives in Historical Archaeology; Chapter 11 The Historical Archaeology of Groups; Chapter 12 Historical Archaeology and the Wider World; Chapter 13 Historical Archaeology Today; Further Reading of Sources Used; Index.

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Author Information

Charles E. Orser, Jr. is Adjunct Professor at the School of Human Evolution and Social Change at Arizona State University and Research Professor with the Department of Anthropology at the University of Western Ontario. His latest book is Mutualist Archaeology, and he is the founder and editor of the International Journal of Historical Archaeology.

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