During the transition to the early Neolithic, a number of changes took place among the hunter-fishers of southern Norway. One of the most important social changes may have been the development of more marked ethnic boundaries, which were related to increasing social inequality among the local groups. In this study, the main theme is the investigation of whether such ethnic boundaries can be delineated. The author identifies them archaeologically, and discusses how and why they were established and maintained.

Oxbow says: This thesis re-examines evidence for the distribution of hominin populations focusing particularly on the period 1.8-0.6 million years ago in Africa. Various theories and scenarios are assessed as MacDonald takes an evolutionary and ecological approach to interpreting hominin geographic ranges. The challenges and problems in studying this subject are discussed and the utility of comparative analyses being used to fill in the gaps in archaeological data are considered in theory and in practice (comparisons are made with the distribution of modern primate species and of African mammal taxa).

Papers from the session Social Inequality in Iberian Late Prehistory presented at the Congress of Peninsular Archaeology, Faro, 2004.

28 papers from Sections 17 (American Prehistory) and 17.1 (Change in the Andes: Origins of Social Complexity, Pastoralism and Agriculture), Acts of the XIVth UISPP Congress, University of Liege, Belgium, 2-8 September 2001.

8 papers from Section 16 (Asian and Oceanic Prehistory) Acts of the XIVth UISPP Congress, University of Liege, Belgium, 2-8 September 2001. French and English."

21 papers from Section 15 (African Prehistory), Acts of the XIVth UISPP Congress, University of Liege, Belgium, 2-8 September 2001. French and English."

5 papers from the session on Atlantic Megaliths from Acts of the XIVth UISPP Congress, University of Liege, Belgium, 2-8 September 2001. Contents: 1) An Introduction to the Atlantic Megalithic Complex (A.A. Rodriguez Casal); 2) The Megalithic Complex in Cantabrian Spain (P. Arias, A. Armendariz & L. C. Teira); 3) Le phenomene funeraire dans le Pays Basque pendant le Neolithique et lage des metaux: contextes culturels (J. Fernandez Eraso & J.A. Mujika Alustiza); 4) On the Life-Histories of Megaliths in Northwest Iberia (M. Martinon-Torres); 5) Research on the Megalithic Culture of Galicia (NW Iberian Peninsula) During the Last Century (A.A. Rodriguez Casal).

Papers from the session The Neolithisation Process from Acts of the XIVth UISPP Congress, University of Liege, Belgium, 2-8 September 2001. Contents: 1) Le Cardial franco-iberique et le debut du Neolithique en Mediterranee nord-occidentale (S. van Willingen); 2) Les groupes regionaux du Rubane et la colonisation du Sud de la Plaine du Rhin superieur (Ph. Lefranc); 3) A Contribution of Charcoal Analysis to Knowledge of the Neolithic Environment in the Grand-Duchy Of Luxembourg (F. Damblon, Ch. Buydens, A. Hauzeur); 4) Belgium among the Neolithisation Flow of Western Europe (A. Hauzeur); Contacts, blocages et filiations entre les aires culturelles mesolithiques et neolithiques en Europe atlantique (G. Marchand); 5) Entre determinisme naturel et tradition technique: le "debitage cotier" dans l'ouest de la France (J.-N. Guyodo, G. Marchand); 6) The Site of Doel "Deurganckdok" and the Neolithisation of the Sandy Lowland of Belgium (J. Sergant, Y. Perdaen, P. Crombe); 7) La mise en place des reseaux d'echanges transalpins de lames de haches polies et leur role dans la neolithisation des Alpes occidentales: Faits et hypotheses (E. Thirault); 8) Proche-Orientaux et Indo-Europeens: Antinomies et interactions culturelles (P.-L. van Berg); 9) La structuration de lespace dans le neolithique du levant (12.500-6.500 avant notre ere) (P.-L. van Berg).

This volume focuses on the phenomenon of the Transition from the Middle to the Upper Palaeolithic in the Iberian Peninsula, with special reference to the site of Abric Romani (Capellades, Barcelona), more broadly the northern Iberian sites, and the theoretical and typological systematics that have been used hitherto in the study of the transitional process. The core of the study is the development of the Transition from the latest Mousterian facies, to the appearance of the earliest Upper Palaeolithic. A secondary focus concentrates on the methods used until now to conduct similar studies.

A system for the hierarchical Classification of Lithic Artefacts from the British Late Glacial and Holocene Periods is offered in this book. It is hoped that it may find use as a guide book for archaeology students, museum staff, non-specialist archaeologists, local archaeology groups and lay enthusiasts. To allow the individual categories of lithic objects to be classified and characterised in detail, it was necessary to first define a number of descriptive terms, which forms the first part of this guide. The main part of the book is the lithic classification section, which offers definitions of the individual formal debitage, core and tool types. The basic questions asked are: what defines Object X as a tool and not a piece of debitage or a core; what defines a microlith as a microlith and not a knife or a piercer; and what defines a specific implement as a scalene triangle and not an isosceles one? As shown in the book, there are disagreements within the lithics community as to the specific definition of some types, demonstrating the need for all lithics reports to define which typological framework they are based on. The eBook edition of this publication is available in Open Access, supported by Historic Environment Scotland.

In October 2004 over 70 delegates met in the Department of Archaeological Sciences at the University of Bradford for the second International Conference on Prehistoric Ceramics. The conference was the second major biannual conference to be organised by the Prehistoric Ceramics Research Group. It is hoped that in the papers presented in this volume, readers will find much to stimulate the mind and their own directions of study even if the subject matter is not directly relevant to their own specific fields. This is the unifying beauty of ceramic research.

Explores the possibilities of using coarse stone assemblages from the Northern Isles of Scotland to observe aspects of social change throughout the prehistoric period. This report draws together the available data on coarse stone artefacts, much of which is rather disparate, with a view to providing a standard work of reference for use to those excavators in the Northern Isles who, faced with a large coarse stone assemblage, require a description of the types of artefacts which occur as well as background information on their context and chronology. This is in part a synthesis as it combines proposals for standardised definitions of the various artefact types together with a record of occurrence. Of greater interest, however, is the use to which this information can then be put. By comparing the various artefacts with reference to their form, manufacture, use and deposition it is possible to perceive certain aspects of continuity and change within and between assemblages. This variability within the artefactual record is interpreted at a broader organisational level in order to assess the social implications that these patterns may represent. The period under investigation is from the Neolithic to the end of the Iron Age: from the beginning of the fourth millennium cal BC to 800 cal AD. The main part of this work is concerned with the Neolithic and Bronze Age, particularly the transition period between the two as, during this time, the use of stone for tools and other objects was at its peak.

From the simplest hunter-gatherer society to the most powerful Empire, all societies are built on basic daily life, developed day to day with its specific material conditions. Household archaeology looks at the detail of the living domain, exploring the most essential elements of any social dynamic, the archaeology of the small scale. The Archaeology of Household looks at this important aspect of archaeological investigation in a variety of different ways using a range of theoretical and methodological perspectives, deep thinking about the mathematical nature of household space, and how societies world view was reflected in domestic space. Case studies include hunter-gatherer societies in America, Neolithic and Bronze Age lakeside settlements in Switzerland and the Alpine region, Bronze Age sites in Hungary and northern Europe and Archaic period Sicily.

Ever since Roman tourists scratched graffiti on the pyramids and temples of Egypt over two thousand years ago, people have travelled far and wide seeking the great wonders of antiquity. In From Stonehenge to Samarkand, noted archaeologist and popular writer Brian Fagan offers an engaging historical account of our enduring love of ancient architecture-the irresistible impulse to visit strange lands in search of lost cities and forgotten monuments. Here is a marvellous history of archaeological tourism, with generous excerpts from the writings of the tourists themselves. Readers will find Herodotus describing the construction of Babylon; Edward Gibbon receiving inspiration for his seminal work while wandering through the ruins of the Forum in Rome; Gustave Flaubert watching the sunrise from atop the Pyramid of Cheops. We visit Easter Island with Pierre Loti, Machu Picchu with Hiram Bingham, Central Africa with David Livingstone. Fagan describes the early antiquarians, consumed with a passionate and omnivorous curiosity, pondering the mysteries of Stonehenge, but he also considers some of the less reputable figures, such as the Earl of Elgin, who sold large parts of the Parthenon to the British Museum. Finally, he discusses the changing nature of archaeological tourism, from the early romantic wanderings of the solitary figure, communing with the departed spirits of Druids or Mayans, to the cruise-ship excursions of modern times, where masses of tourists are hustled through ruins, barely aware of their surroundings. From the Holy Land to the Silk Road, the Yucatan to Angkor Wat, Fagan follows in the footsteps of the great archaeological travellers to retrieve their first written impressions in a book that will delight anyone fascinated with the landmarks of ancient civilization.

This study is the first gendered study of the prehistoric rock art of Naquane National Park in Valcamonica, northern Italy. Its purpose is to identify and describe gendered representations and imagery in the rock art of Naquane, in order to reconstruct potential gender roles, gender relations and ritual activities during the Bronze and Iron Age periods. The social role of art in non-western cultures is explored, as well as recent work on gender studies in archaeology and rock art, with a view towards placing the prehistoric rock art of Naquane within a social and cultural context. Gender-specific access to and usage of the rock art sites during successive phases of prehistory is considered and analysis is presented of the possible rituals being portrayed in the rock art and their potential social implications. Discussion also focuses on the social and ritual construction of femininity and masculinity during different chronological periods, as well as upon possible gendered motifs and sexual imagery in the rock art. The study concludes with a discussion of the incidence of over-carving and the incorporation of earlier images into later rock art panels, considering potential reasons why certain earlier carvings were actively curated among the predominantly male-orientated Iron Age rock art.

This work defines Neolithic Near East Dark Faced Burnished Ware (DFBW), on the basis of new data, taking into account areas of production, analyses of architectural, economic and environmental information, and the verification of the existence of a specific DFBW region and its characteristics. The distribution of DFBW to external areas is also investigated, with the goal of explaining relations between these regions during this Neolithic phase. This research was prompted by the renewed excavations at Yumuktepe-Mersin, one of the central sites of the so-called Syro-Cilician culture, and by the possibility of analyzing two of the main contexts of DFBW Judaidah, in the Amuq and Ain el-Kerkh, in the Rouj Basin. The study is presented in three main phases: the technical and typological definition of the DFBW; its distribution and characteristics within the horizon of DFBW producers; and its external distribution. A chapter is devoted to a chronological summary of the analyzed developments, as reconstructed from comparisons in the ceramic assemblages from all the sites, and in correlation with available radiocarbon dates.

This work examines spatial variability within and between structures in the Neolithic Eastern Mediterranean and goes on to explore a number of equally significant theoretical issues that play an important role in the understanding of the particular topic. These were matters related to the way spatial information is approached by archaeology and the degree to which the archaeological record is sufficient to provide information about activity areas and changes in the use of domestic space. The work therefore sets information about structures and their furnishing in a wider methodological and theoretical context. Included are extensive analyses tables of data on sites and finds.

Generations of scholars have grappled with the origins of 'palace' society on Minoan Crete, seeking to explain when and how life on the island altered monumentally. Emily Anderson turns light on the moment just before the palaces, recognizing it as a remarkably vibrant phase of socio-cultural innovation. Exploring the role of craftspersons, travelers and powerful objects, she argues that social change resulted from creative work that forged connections at new scales and in novel ways. This study focuses on an extraordinary corpus of sealstones which have been excavated across Crete. Fashioned of imported ivory and engraved with images of dashing lions, these distinctive objects linked the identities of their distant owners. Anderson argues that it was the repeated but pioneering actions of such diverse figures, people and objects alike, that dramatically changed the shape of social life in the Aegean at the turn of the second millennium BCE.

This volume stems from sessions at the 2004 Theoretical Archaeology Conference at Glasgow University, entitled "Hunter-Gatherers in Early Prehistory" and "Hunting for Meaning: Interpretive Approaches to the Mesolithic." The sessions came about as a response to a continuing lack of appreciation of new developments in theoretical approaches to the archaeology of prehistoric hunter-gatherers both in the Pleistocene and Holocene. Contents: 1) Hunter-Gatherers in Early Prehistory (Fiona Coward & Lucy Grimshaw); 2) Upper Palaeolithic Social Colonisation and Lower Palaeolithic Biological Dispersal? A Consideration of the Nature of Movements into Europe During the Pleistocene (Lucy Grimshaw); 3) Transitions, Change and Prehistory: An Ecosystemic Approach to Change in the Archaeological Record (Fiona Coward); 4) Darwin Vs. Bourdieu - Celebrity Deathmatch or Postrocessual Myth? A Prolegomenon for the Reconciliation of Agentive-Interpretive and Ecological-Evolutionary Archaeology (Felix Riede); 5) We're Not Waiting Any More - Or, Hunting for Meaning in the Mesolithic of North-West Europe (Hannah Cobb & Steven Price); 6) Midden, Meaning, Person, Place: Interpreting the Mesolithic of Western Scotland (Hannah Cobb); 7) Reconstructing the Social Topography of an Irish Mesolithic Lakescape (Aimee Little); 8) Can't See the Trees for the Wood: The Social Life of Trees in the Mesolithic of Southern Scandinavia.

Subtitled: The Zooarchaeological Remains from Megalo Nisi Galanis, a Late Neolithic-Early Bronze Age Site in Greek Macedonia, this study also contains contributions by Michael Fotiadis and Elizabeth Arnold.

This book provides the most up-to-date examination of the changing burial practices in Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age South Germany, a pivotal period and region in European Prehistory. Despite the richness of the archaeological evidence, only cursory discussions of the material have so far appeared in English. This major study not only provides a detailed synthetic account of mortuary practice and its related material culture but it is the first attempt to explore the relationship between material culture change and human 'subjectification', the process in which people subjectify themselves by establishing a relationship with material culture, in order to construct their own identity.

This research presents the qualitative and quantitative data collected from the architecture within ten Neolithic and Early Chalcolithic settlements in the Central and Southwestern regions of modern-day Anatolia. The sites investigated are: Akl Hoyuek, Catalhoyuek, Canhasan III, Canhasan I, Guevercinkayas, Hoyuecek, Bademadac, Erbaba, Haclar and Kurucay. After investigating the interplay between theory and methodology in order to establish a research methodology, the work offers a general overview of the topography and climate of Central and Southwest Anatolia, reviews the current state of archaeological knowledge about prehistoric subsistence and settlement patterns and explains the selection of the ten sites for further study. The qualitative and quantitative data for these ten sites are then presented and analysed and the concluding chapter considers to what extent the research has been able to contribute to current theories about household and community within the Near East. Includes appendices of sites and data.

Oxbow says: There is no doubting that this is an important collection of studies by some of the foremost scholars in Aegean and Mediterranean archaeology and classical studies. The thirty papers were presented to O.T.P.K. Dickinson at the Institute of Classical Studies in London in 2005, to mark his retirement from his post at the University of Durham. They cover a wide range of topics including four papers on survey and settlement from the likes of John Bintliff and Todd Whitelaw, three on the environment and landscape, four on the Mycenaeans including papers by John Bennet and Elizabeth French, two on architecture, three on administration and the economy, four on iconography and symbolism including a paper by Sue Sherratt, three on ritual and cult and four on the subject of contacts and exchange. Three appreciations to Dickinson by Hector Catling, Anthony Snodgrass, and N Claire Loader and Stuart Dunn open the volume.

The Neolithic period of southern Turkmenistan, Central Asia is the primary focus of this study. During the Neolithic, southern Turkmenia was inhabited by two main groups living in two discrete ecological environmental zones: the Jeitun Culture of the southern super-zone and the Keltiminar Culture of the northern super-zone. In this study, Chapters 1-3 provide the background critical to an accurate understanding of the typological and petrographic case studies, the insight those studies can provide to our knowledge of the structure of the Jeitun and Keltiminar Neolithic adaptations, and the notion of prehistoric Turkmenia as an archaeological border zone. The ceramic assemblages for the petrographic case study are initially introduced in the context of ceramic typology (Chapter 4), and subsequently in terms of general petrography (Chapter 5) and the Kopet Dag case study (Chapter 6). Finally, Chapter 7 represents a synthesis and interpretation of the data and results from Chapters 4 and 6. This synthesis and interpretation serves as a precursor to a final discussion of contrasts, comparisons, and possibilities for future research in the region (Chapter 8).