The mining industry in North America is an important subject for archaeological investigation due to its rich and conflicted history. It is associated with the opening of the frontier and the rise of the United States as an industrial power but also with social upheaval, the dispossession of indigenous lands, and extensive environmental impacts. Synthesizing fifty years of research on American mining sites that date from colonial times to the present, Paul White provides an ideal overview of the field for both students and professionals. Case studies are taken from a wide range of contexts, from eastern coal mines to Alaskan gold fields, and special attention is paid to the domestic and working lives of miners. Exploring what material artifacts can tell us about the lives of people who left few records, White demonstrates how archaeologists contribute to understanding mining legacies.

How realistic is peace in the Middle East? Certainly there appears to be a reduction in conflict, and concrete improvements are clearly visible: the Gulf War opened the door to regional realignments that paved the way for the PLO-Israel peace agreement, which in turn made peace negotiations possible between Israel and Syria; Lebanon is rebuilding its cities following a cessation of its civil war; Iran has evidenced signs of a rapprochement with the West.
Yet some analysts predict that these changes are doomed to failure. With its longstanding territorial disputes and pronounced ethnic and religious divides, will this troubled region ever resolve its conflicts? Pessimists further contend that vexed problems such as gender relations and human rights violations remain unaffected by the processes of international political readjustment.
This provocative and interdisciplinary book tackles these controversial questions from a wide range of perspectives in an effort to unravel the complexities of this exciting area, which is the spotlight of tremendous global concern -- never more so than at the present.

Mining History Association Clark C. Spence Award. The mining industry in North America has a rich and conflicted history. It is associated with the opening of the frontier and the rise of the United States as an industrial power but also with social upheaval, the dispossession of indigenous lands, and extensive environmental impacts. Synthesizing fifty years of research on American mining sites that date from colonial times to the present, Paul White provides an ideal overview of the field for both students and professionals. The Archaeology of American Mining offers a multifaceted look at mining, incorporating findings from an array of subfields, including historical archaeology, industrial archaeology, and maritime archaeology. Case studies are taken from a wide range of contexts, from eastern coal mines to Alaskan gold fields, with special attention paid to the domestic and working lives of miners. Exploring what material artifacts can tell us about the lives of people who left few records, White demonstrates how archaeologists contribute to our understanding of the legacies left by miners and the mining industry. A volume in the series the American Experience in Archaeological Perspective, edited by Michael S. Nassaney

How realistic is peace in the Middle East? Certainly there appears to be a reduction in conflict, and concrete improvements are clearly visible: the Gulf War opened the door to regional realignments that paved the way for the PLO-Israel peace agreement, which in turn made peace negotiations possible between Israel and Syria; Lebanon is rebuilding its cities following a cessation of its civil war; Iran has evidenced signs of a rapprochement with the West.
Yet some analysts predict that these changes are doomed to failure. With its longstanding territorial disputes and pronounced ethnic and religious divides, will this troubled region ever resolve its conflicts? Pessimists further contend that vexed problems such as gender relations and human rights violations remain unaffected by the processes of international political readjustment.
This provocative and interdisciplinary book tackles these controversial questions from a wide range of perspectives in an effort to unravel the complexities of this exciting area, which is the spotlight of tremendous global concern -- never more so than at the present.

Protests worldwide followed the capture and trial of the Kurdish nationalist leader Abdullah OEcalan in 1999. Millions of people are now aware of the long fight by OEcalan's PKK guerillas in Turkey. But where does the PKK come from? What are its aims? Who supports it? What will its future be without OEcalan to guide it? And, most important of all, is there now a real prospect for a peaceful resolution of the Kurdish question in Turkey and a democratic future that recognises the cultural plurality of the country? This timely book seeks answers to these questions and provides an informative, up-to-date and readable account of the Kurdish reality in Turkey today. Its focus is a critical examination of the Kurdish nationalist movement -- especially the largest and most powerful grouping, the PKK. Its evolution is traced. Initially reliant on armed struggle, the PKK had in fact, the author shows, made significant strides towards becoming a mainstream mass political movement before OEcalan's arrest. Original interviews with Icalan, his rival Kurdish nationalist leaders and ordinary PKK guerillas are woven into the text. They make possible an understanding of Abdullah OEcalan's personality as well as revealing much about leadership in contemporary Kurdish nationalism. Of particular interest also is the author's revisionist discussion of the Alevi Kurds.