The Archaeology of Mediterranean Prehistory - (Wiley Blackwell Studies in Global Archaeology) by Emma Blake & A Bernard Knapp (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

This book offers a comprehensive introduction to the archaeology of Mediterranean prehistory and an essential reference to the most recent research and fieldwork.

• Only book available to offer general coverage of Mediterranean prehistory
  
• Written by 14 of the leading archaeologists in the field
  
• Spans the Neolithic through the Iron Age, and draws from all the major regions of the Mediterranean's coast and islands
  
• Presents the central debates in Mediterranean prehistory---trade and interaction, rural economies, ritual, social structure, gender, monumentality, insularity, archaeometallurgy and the metals trade, stone technologies, settlement, and maritime traffic---as well as contemporary legacies of the region's prehistoric past
  
• Structure of text is pedagogically driven
  
• Engages diverse theoretical approaches so students will see the benefits of multivocality

From the Back Cover

This book offers a comprehensive introduction to the archaeology of Mediterranean prehistory. Its case studies, spanning the Neolithic through the Iron Age, are drawn from all the Mediterranean's major lands, coasts, and islands. Written by fourteen of the leading archaeologists in the field, The Archaeology of Mediterranean Prehistory presents diverse theoretical approaches that enable students as well as other archaeologists to see the benefits of multivocality. The chapters look beyond Mediterranean diversity toward common links based on social interaction and geography. The book also includes an introductory overview that situates this work in wider Mediterranean scholarship and offers new insights into the histories and cultures of ancient Mediterranean peoples.

Review Quotes

"This remarkable book does precisely what its title suggests: it provides an account of the archaeology of Mediterranean prehistory that treats the Mediterranean as a single unit. A galaxy of prominent prehistorians traces themes and topics from the Levant to Spain, enabling the reader to acquire a sense of the shape of prehistory across the whole of this extraordinary space." Robin Osborne, University of Cambridge

"Blake and Knapp's volume demonstrates that new approaches to the Mediterranean, taking as central concerns the nature of culture and cultural heritage, are breathing new life into studies of that region." Chris Gosden, University of Oxford

About the Author

Emma Blake is Visiting Assistant Professor in Classical Studies, University of Michigan. Her articles have appeared in World Archaeology, the Journal of Mediterranean Archaeology, the European Journal of Archaeology, and the American Journal of Archaeology.

A. Bernard Knapp is Professor of Mediterranean Archaeology in the Department of Archaeology, University of Glasgow. He co-edits the Journal of Mediterranean Archaeology (with John F. Cherry) and is co-editor of Archaeologies of Landscape (with Wendy Ashmore, Blackwell 1999).