Evolution is a series of bets, and no animal gambles the way humans do. This has led us to unprecedented ecological dominance, via the steepest odds and unlikeliest of outcomes, but our winning streak cuts both ways: the secret to our success may yet be our downfall.

The Gambling Animal offers a revelatory retelling of the human story. Drawing on their unique research into the risk psychology of humans and other animals - including our most impressive rivals, elephants - Don Ross and Glenn Harrison reveal the hidden logic of our rise.

Even before the dawn of civilisation, we bet the Earth on our ability to keep doubling down. But with an ecological crisis on the horizon, how long will our winning streak continue?

Among the voyages of exploration and surveying in the late 18th century, that of Alejandro Malaspina best represents the high ideals and scientific interests of the Enlightenment. Italian-born, Malaspina entered the Spanish navy in 1774. In September 1788 he and fellow-officer Jose Bustamante submitted a plan to the Ministry of Marine for a voyage of survey and inspection to Spanish territories in the Americas and Philippines. The expedition was to produce hydrographic charts for the use of Spanish merchantmen and warships and to report on the political, economic and defensive state of Spain's overseas possessions. The plan was approved and in July 1789 Malaspina and Bustamante sailed from CA!diz in the purpose-built corvettes, Descubierta and Atrevida. On board the vessels were scientists and artists and an array of the latest surveying and astronomical instruments. The voyage lasted more than five years. On his return Malaspina was promoted Brigadier de la Real Armada, and began work on an account of the voyage in seven volumes to dwarf the narratives of his predecessors in the Pacific such as Cook and Bougainville. Among much else, it would contain sweeping recommendations for reform in the governance of Spain's overseas empire. But Malaspina became involved in political intrigue. In November 1795 he was arrested, stripped of his rank and sentenced to life imprisonment. Although released in 1803, Malaspina spent the last seven years of his life in obscure retirement in Italy. He never resumed work on the great edition, and his journal was not published in Spain until 1885. Only in recent years has a multi-volume edition appeared under the auspices of the Museo Naval, Madrid, that does justice to the achievements of what for long was a forgotten voyage. This first volume of a series of three contains Malaspina's diario or journal from 31 July 1789 to 14 December 1790, newly translated into English, with substantial introduction and commentary. Among the places visited and described are Montevideo, Puerto Deseado, Port Egmont, Puerto San Carlos, ValparaA so, Callao, Guayaquil and PanamA!. Other texts include Malaspina's introduction to his intended edition, and his correspondence with the Minister of the Marine before and during the voyage.

Drawing on a broad theoretical range from speculative realism to feminist psychoanalysis and anti-colonialism, this book represents a radical departure from traditional scholarship on maritime archaeology. Shipwreck Hauntography asserts that nautical archaeology bears the legacy of Early Modern theological imperialism, most evident through the savior-scholar model that resurrects-physically or virtually-ships from wrecks. Instead of construing shipwrecks as dead, awaiting resurrection from the seafloor, this book presents them as vibrant if not recalcitrant objects, having shaken off anthropogenesis through varying stages of ruination. Sara Rich illustrates this anarchic condition with 'hauntographs' of five Age of 'Discovery' shipwrecks, each of which elucidates the wonder of failure and finitude, alongside an intimate brush with the eerie, horrific, and uncanny.

The Oxford Handbook of Material Culture Studies introduces and reviews current thinking in the interdisciplinary field of material culture studies. Drawing together approaches from archaeology, anthropology, geography, and Science and Technology Studies, through twenty-eight specially commissioned essays by leading international researchers, the volume explores contemporary issues and debates in a series of themed sections - Disciplinary Perspectives, Material Practices, Objects and Humans, Landscapes and the Built Environment, and Studying Particular Things. From Coca-Cola, chimpanzees, artworks, and ceramics, to museums, cities, human bodies, and magical objects, the Handbook is an essential resource for anyone with an interest in materiality and the place of material objects in human social life, both past and present. A comprehensive bibliography enhances its usefulness as a research tool.

In one volume here is everything you need to conduct fieldwork in archaeology. The Archaeologist's Field Handbook is designed for every kind of archaeological practice, from simple site recordings to professional consultancies and anyone who wants to record heritage sites responsibly.This hands-on manual provides step-by-step instructions on how to undertake and successfully complete fieldwork in all fields of archaeology, from Indigenous to historical to landscape work. Charts, checklists, graphs, maps and diagrams clearly illustrate how to design, fund, research, map, record, interpret, photograph and write up your fieldwork.This second edition is updated throughout and incorporates strategies for digital data capture, improved methods, recent legislation and more affordable technologies for surveying and photography. The Archaeologist's Field Handbook remains the ultimate resource for consultants, teachers, students, community groups and anyone involved in heritage fieldwork.'An essential aid for beginners and professionals.' - Emeritus Professor John Mulvaney'This volume has become the standard for archaeological field training ...A must for students, professionals and community groups. ' - Martin Gibbs, Professor of Archaeology, University of New England'It is absolutely the 'go to' field manual for archaeologists whatever their level within the profession.' - Jane Balme, Associate Professor of Archaeology, University of Western Australia

Building on the notion that human remains provide a window into the past, especially regarding identity, the contributors to this volume reflect on intentional and ritualized practices of manipulating the human head within ancient societies. These essays explore the human head's symbolic role in political, social, economic, and religious ritual over the centuries. By focusing on the various ways in which the head was treated at the time of death, as well as before and following, scholars uncover the significant social meaning of such treatment. This illuminating collection highlights biological and cultural manipulations of human heads, ultimately revealing whose skulls and heads were collected and why, whether as ancestors or enemies, as insiders or outsiders, as males, females, or children. Featuring a wealth of case studies from scholars across the globe, this volume emphasizes social identity and the use of the body in ritual, making it particularly helpful to all those interested in the cross-cultural handling of skulls and heads.

The Oxford Handbook of the Archaeology of Ritual and Religion provides a comprehensive overview by period and region of the relevant archaeological material in relation to theory, methodology, definition, and practice. Although, as the title indicates, the focus is upon archaeological investigations of ritual and religion, by necessity ideas and evidence from other disciplines are also included, among them anthropology, ethnography, religious studies, and history. The Handbook covers a global span - Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, and the Americas - and reaches from the earliest prehistory (the Lower and Middle Palaeolithic) to modern times. In addition, chapters focus upon relevant themes, ranging from landscape to death, from taboo to water, from gender to rites of passage, from ritual to fasting and feasting. Written by over sixty specialists, renowned in their respective fields, the Handbook presents the very best in current scholarship, and will serve both as a comprehensive introduction to its subject and as a stimulus to further research.

This study aims to elucidate concepts of castle in the Netherlands, England and Ireland in both past en present times. The first part of the book examines current, respectively, academic, national and personal appropriations of 'castle'; the second part moves into the past, juxtaposing elite culture and the spatial organisation of 16th and 17th century domestic architecture.

This practical guide explains how to get involved in archaeology for the non-professional. The book contains useful background information on the archaeology profession, advice on which organizations to contact, what to expect on a dig, examples of ideas for projects, clear explanations of archaeological techniques and of the range of skills that can be acquired.

A bold reassessment of what caused the Late Bronze Age collapse In 1177 B.C., marauding groups known only as the "Sea Peoples" invaded Egypt. The pharaoh's army and navy managed to defeat them, but the victory so weakened Egypt that it soon slid into decline, as did most of the surrounding civilizations. After centuries of brilliance, the civilized world of the Bronze Age came to an abrupt and cataclysmic end. Kingdoms fell like dominoes over the course of just a few decades. No more Minoans or Mycenaeans. No more Trojans, Hittites, or Babylonians. The thriving economy and cultures of the late second millennium B.C., which had stretched from Greece to Egypt and Mesopotamia, suddenly ceased to exist, along with writing systems, technology, and monumental architecture. But the Sea Peoples alone could not have caused such widespread breakdown. How did it happen? In this major new account of the causes of this "First Dark Ages," Eric Cline tells the gripping story of how the end was brought about by multiple interconnected failures, ranging from invasion and revolt to earthquakes, drought, and the cutting of international trade routes. Bringing to life the vibrant multicultural world of these great civilizations, he draws a sweeping panorama of the empires and globalized peoples of the Late Bronze Age and shows that it was their very interdependence that hastened their dramatic collapse and ushered in a dark age that lasted centuries. A compelling combination of narrative and the latest scholarship, 1177 B.C. sheds new light on the complex ties that gave rise to, and ultimately destroyed, the flourishing civilizations of the Late Bronze Age-and that set the stage for the emergence of classical Greece.

The Affair of Rennes is a nest of enigmas that has baffled and enthralled readers in equal measure for more than fifty years. From a minor riddle of local history about a tiny village in the south of France, it has become a global phenomenon, inspiring countless articles, books, documentaries and even movies. Yet the core questions at the heart of the story have remained unsolved. Until now. In The Map and the Manuscript: Journeys in the Mysteries of the Two Rennes, author Simon M. Miles retraces his steps on a twenty-year investigation into the Affair and describes a series of breakthroughs which have broken the seals on this intriguing puzzle. For the first time, knowledge that has been carefully hidden from view for decades, and even longer, is revealed. The anonymous author of a strange surrealist poem is unmasked, and his identity proves to be the key to unlocking the riddles which have remained resolutely sealed. From the mysterious parchments, to the enigmatic book written by a local priest in the nineteenth century, to the persistent claims of alignments between significant sites in the landscape, the Affair of Rennes gives up its secrets in this book. Richly illustrated with 140 maps, charts, photographs and diagrams, The Map and the Manuscript marks a new era in understanding one of the great unsolved, mysteries of the twentieth century.

The Affair of Rennes is a nest of enigmas that has baffled and enthralled readers in equal measure for more than fifty years. From a minor riddle of local history about a tiny village in the south of France, it has become a global phenomenon, inspiring countless articles, books, documentaries and even movies. Yet the core questions at the heart of the story have remained unsolved. Until now. In The Map and the Manuscript: Journeys in the Mysteries of the Two Rennes, author Simon M. Miles retraces his steps on a twenty-year investigation into the Affair and describes a series of breakthroughs which have broken the seals on this intriguing puzzle. For the first time, knowledge that has been carefully hidden from view for decades, and even longer, is revealed. The anonymous author of a strange surrealist poem is unmasked, and his identity proves to be the key to unlocking the riddles which have remained resolutely sealed. From the mysterious parchments, to the enigmatic book written by a local priest in the nineteenth century, to the persistent claims of alignments between significant sites in the landscape, the Affair of Rennes gives up its secrets in this book. Richly illustrated with 140 maps, charts, photographs and diagrams, The Map and the Manuscript marks a new era in understanding one of the great unsolved, mysteries of the twentieth century.

Peter Jewell and Juliet Clutton-Brock had a shared passion for animals and Africa, and as brilliant young zoologists in the 1960s they were pioneers of the new movements in ecology, archaeozoology and animal conservation. This fascinating account of their extraordinary lives follows them as they travel, and live, in and out of Africa accompanied by their three daughters and a medley of pets, including dogs, cats, tortoises, chameleons and a chimpanzee.