Environmental archaeology /

This handbook by Reitz (anthropology, Univ. of Georgia) and Shackley (Culture Resource Management, Nottingham Business School, UK) is a revised and dramatically enlarged update of Shackley's 1981 Environmental Archaeology (CH, Jun'82). The first four chapters introduce the field of environmental archaeology, explore archaeological site formation processes, discuss research design and field methods, and summarize the basics of biological classification. Chapter 5 discusses sediments and soils, followed by a chapter on microorganisms, three chapters on plants (including microbotanical remains), four chapters on animal remains, a chapter on biochemical analysis, and a final chapter that reviews research questions in the field. Each chapter concludes with a section on applications followed by a complete, up-to-date bibliography. A list of biological names and a thorough index conclude the volume. The discussion focuses on the knowledge needed to understand how biotic remains from archaeological sites are recovered, preserved, analyzed, and interpreted. In contrast to the 1981 work, the authors do not describe laboratory methods in detail; instead, they provide references to more detailed discussions. Written in a highly technical style, this handbook will be of most value to serious students and professionals. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. W. Kotter Weber State University