ABSTRACT

An Integrated Picture of Prehistory as an Active Process of Discovery

World Prehistory and Archaeology: Pathways through Time, fourth edition, provides an integrated discussion of world prehistory and archaeological methods. This text emphasizes the relevance of how we know and what we know about our human prehistory. A cornerstone of World Prehistory and Archaeology is the discussion of prehistory as an active process of discovery. Methodological issues are addressed throughout the text to engage readers.

Archaeological methods are introduced in the first two chapters. Succeeding chapters then address the question of how we know the past to provide an integrated presentation of prehistory. The fourth edition involves readers in the current state of archaeological research, revealing how archaeologists work and interpret what they find. Through the coverage of various new research, author Michael Chazan shows how archaeology is truly a global discipline.

Learning Goals

Upon completing this book, readers will be able to:

* Gain new perspectives and insights into who we are and how our world came into being.

* Think about humanity from the perspective of archaeology.

* Appreciate the importance of the archaeological record for contemporary society.

part One|54 pages

The Past is a Foreign Country: Getting From Here to There

chapter |3 pages

Introduction: Questions of Time and Ethics

Pathways Through Time

chapter 1|28 pages

Getting Started in Archaeology

chapter 2|22 pages

Putting the Picture Together

part Two|121 pages

Human Evolution

chapter |6 pages

Introduction: Our Place in Nature

chapter 3|27 pages

Early Hominins

chapter 4|28 pages

From Homo erectus to Neanderthals

chapter 5|28 pages

The Origin of Modern Humans

part Three|79 pages

Perspectives on Agriculture

chapter 7|24 pages

Towers, Villages, and Longhouses

chapter 8|22 pages

Mounds and Maize

chapter 9|23 pages

A Feast of Diversity

part Four|148 pages

The Development of Social Complexity

chapter 10|25 pages

Complexity without the State

chapter 11|36 pages

Cities, Pyramids, and Palaces

Early States of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Aegean

chapter 12|25 pages

Locating the Source of Authority

Early States in Asia

chapter 13|30 pages

From City to Empire

Social Complexity in Mesoamerica

chapter 14|22 pages

Bringing the Four Parts Together

States and Empire in the Andes

chapter |8 pages

Epilogue Bringing It Back Home

Archaeology of and in the Modern World