Archaeological sites often seem to be idyllic, even romantic, places where scientists recover and analyze fascinating data that can inform us of past times and the past lives of our recent historical and ancient prehistoric human forebears. Too often, however, unrecognized dangers lie within: bacterial and viral infections hidden in the soil, concealed in the animals that roam through our sites, or even lying in wait in organic remains we excavate; toxic substances produced by the historical technologies we study and that continue to poison the sites where people once worked; the bodies of people who died of historical scourges that once afflicted humanity and whose excavated mortal remains may still harbor the pathogens that killed them, dormant and lying in wait for an unsuspecting and largely no-longer immune modern population. It's enough to make an archaeologist swear off fieldwork

The truth is, however, that archaeologists need to be alerted to the dangers present in fieldwork and advised of the reasonable precautions that should be taken to insure the safest possible working environment. "Dangerous Places" brings together an enormous body of information regarding the threats that archaeologists face every day, and the best ways of behaving proactively to avoid or mitigate these threats.

This book provides a fascinating, encyclopedic antidote for the mysticism and pseudoscience surrounding well-known or highly publicized archaeological and anthropological "discoveries." Archaeology attempts to answer the question "where do we come from?" in the broadest sense possible; as a result, it is a highly interesting topic for all mankind. When did human beings first walk the earth? How did civilization develop? What compelled our human ancestors to build things like the pyramids, the Great Sphinx, or Monk's Mound? This book presents the widely unknown scientific facts behind the most popular and enthralling "mysteries" of our world from an expert archaeological perspective—and lays out the information and research in a manner that is approachable, engaging, and entertaining for any reader. Encyclopedia of Dubious Archaeology: From Atlantis to the Walam Olum contains detailed and highly descriptive definitions for—and explanations of—terms related to extraordinary claims about human antiquity and its study. Some of the terms in this extensive list of topics relate to archaeological hoaxes. Many of the entries relate to dubious interpretations of the human past; some of the terms relate to far-fetched arguments that actually have produced evidence in support of their veracity.

Deep in the woods of Barkhamsted, Connecticut, archaeologist Kenneth Feder found a series of irregular cellar holes. That discovery led to the archaeological and genealogical investigation into what had become the legend of Barkhamsted Lighthouse. The long told story as it appeared in local newspaper articles, a school play, and even a book-length poem focused on Molly Barber, a white woman born in central Connecticut in the middle of the eighteenth century. Molly, the legend goes, abandoned her family, her friends, and her privilege to marry the man she loved, James Chaugham, a Narragansett Indian from Block Island in Long Island Sound. Molly and James ultimately had several children and their growing community became a magnet for other outcasts including Native Americans as well as people of African and European descent. Some of these newcomers married into the family and together created a community in their little village. As a tale of rebellion, race, resistance, and resilience the legend called out for investigation. The site was excavated intermittently between 1986 and 2009, and Feder also started a genealogical investigation of James and Molly and their descendants. After meeting with Raymond Ellis, a seventh-generation descendant of the founding couple, Feder recognized that this was more than just a historical mystery to solve, it was also a chance to connect archaeology of historic places with the present-day relatives of those who once lived there.

Archaeological sites often seem to be idyllic, even romantic, places where scientists recover and analyze fascinating data that can inform us of past times and the past lives of our recent historical and ancient prehistoric human forebears. Too often, however, unrecognized dangers lie within: bacterial and viral infections hidden in the soil, concealed in the animals that roam through our sites, or even lying in wait in organic remains we excavate; toxic substances produced by the historical technologies we study and that continue to poison the sites where people once worked; the bodies of people who died of historical scourges that once afflicted humanity and whose excavated mortal remains may still harbor the pathogens that killed them, dormant and lying in wait for an unsuspecting and largely no-longer immune modern population. It's enough to make an archaeologist swear off fieldwork

The truth is, however, that archaeologists need to be alerted to the dangers present in fieldwork and advised of the reasonable precautions that should be taken to insure the safest possible working environment. DEGREESIDangerous Places DEGREESR brings together an enormous body of information regarding the threats that archaeologists face every day, and the best ways of behaving proactively to avoid or mitigate these threats.

An accessible, thoroughly integrated introduction to physical anthropology and archaeology.