From Concepts of the Past to Practical Strategies: The Teaching of Archaeological Field Techniques

Although several manuals on fieldwork techniques exist, and although most definitions of archaeology would specify excavation and fieldwork as the core of archaeological enquiry, this book is the first to undertake a comparative assessment of how such techniques are taught to university students in many different parts of the world. This book is the result of a three-day international conference held by the International Centre for Chinese Heritage and Archaeology (ICCHA) in Beijing in 2006. The contributors, who come from many parts of the world - Africa, Australia, India, Southeast Asia, South and North America and Europe - present strong arguments on the core theme, concepts of the past, and describe fieldwork practices and teaching in their own countries.This is a ground-breaking work both in its theoretical breadth and range of practical information. It will be invaluable to students and teachers of archaeology and heritage management, educationalists and historians. Contributors include J O Aleru, Brigitte Cech, Sarah Colley, Rafael Cruz Antillon, Caleb Adebayo Folorunso, Dorian Q Fuller, Luan Fengshi, Marta Luciani, Arkadiusz Marciniak, Timothy D Maxwell, Gustav Milne, Surapol Natapintu, Mike Parker Pearson, Dominic Perring, Innocent Pikirayi, Qin Ling, Stephen Shennan, B J Tubosun, Peter Ucko, Wang Tao, Gamini Wijesuriya, Seonbok Yi, Zhang Chi, Zhao Hui, and Zhao Zhijun.

Table of Contents:
Contributors 9Foreword Zhao Hui and Stephen Shennan 11Preface Peter Ucko, Qin Ling and Jane Hubert 13Colour Plates 15-32Part 1 A* Background and Theory 33-86Chapter1 From Concept to Practice in Field Archaeology | Stephen Shennan 352 Early Archaeological Fieldwork Practice and Syllabuses in China and England | Wang Tao and Peter Ucko 453 Field Archaeology Training at Peking University | Zhao Hui 77Part 2 A* Teaching of Fieldwork Methods 87-164Chapter4 Field Archaeology Training in China Set within a Global Context | Qin Ling and Peter Ucko 895 Some Issues in the Training and Practice of Field Archaeology | Luan Fengshi 1096 Fieldwork and Training Methods in Field Archaeology at the Site of Baligang | Zhang Chi 1177 The Challenges to Archeological Fieldwork Training at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria | C A Folorunso, J O Aleru and B J Tubosun 1298 Teaching Field Archaeology in Korea: Issues for the 21st Century | Seonbok Yi 1439 Archeological Field Training for a Variety of Different Types of Sites: From the Near Eastern Tell to the Prehistoric Settlement Camp | Marta Luciani 149Part 3 | Assessment of Student Fieldwork 165-206Chapter10 Evaluating Student Fieldwork Training: A Review of Current Approaches within the UK | Dominic Perring 16711 Assessment of Archaeological Skills: Implications for Theory and Practice | Sarah Colley 18312 University Strategies in Teaching Fieldwork Techniques - a View from an Independent Practitioner | Brigitte Cech 193Part 4 | Increasing the Content 0f Fieldwork Training 207-254Chapter 13 Archaeological Science in Field Training | Dorian Q Fuller 20914 Flotation Techniques and their Application in Chinese Archaeology | Zhao Zhijun 23315 Archive Awareness in Fieldwork Training | Gustav Milne 23916 Conservation Awareness in Archaeological Training | Gamini Wijesuriya 245Part 5 | Archaeology as a World Affair 255-302Chapter17 Excavation Training in a Variety of Socio-Cultural Situations | Mike Parker Pearson 25718 Concepts of the Past and International Collaboration: An Example from Mexico | Timothy D Maxwell and Rafael Cruz Antillon 26719 Digging a Site, Nation beside Nation. The Case of A atalhoyuk, Anatolia, Turkey | Arkadiusz Marciniak 281Part 6 | The Public and Archaeology 303-328Chapter20 Public Involvement in Archaeological Excavations in Southern Africa | Innocent Pikirayi 30521 Recent Community Involvement in an Archaeological Site in Central Thailand | Surapol 321Appendix: Conference Programme 329Index of Sites 333General Index 337Backdrop image on preceding Contents pages: Parker Pearson Figure 4. Photo: Karen GoddenThis backdrop image: Luciani Figure 3. Photo courtesy of www.sabi-abyad.nl

About the Author :
Peter Ucko was Professor of Comparative Archaeology and Director of the Institute of Archaeology, University College London, until 2005. He continued his work until his death in June 2007. Qin Ling is Lecturer in the School of Archaeology and Museology, Peking University. Jane Hubert is Senior Research Fellow and Honorary Senior Lecturer in Social Anthropology at St George's, University of London.