Bücher der Reihe Themes in Contemporary Archaeology

Conflict Archaeology presents a series of case-studies on conflict archaeology in ancient Europe, with a chronological framework spanning from the Neolithic to Late Antiquity. Along key battlefields such as the Tollense Valley, Baecula, Alesia, Kalkriese and Harzhorn, the volume incorporates many sources of evidenc

Ignored for many years, the archaeology of the Tripillia/Tripolye sites found in modern Ukraine and Moldova can make important contributions to a discussion of scale and settlement nucleation in prehistoric Eurasia and to the interpretation of how such massive agglomerations may have functioned. The Tripillia group of over 30 'mega-sites' are

This book offers insight into the relationship between prehistoric and protohistoric human populations and the world around them. It reconstructs key aspects of the palaeoenvironment ¿ from large-scale drivers of environmental conditions, such as climate, to more regional variables such as vegetation cover and faunal communities. The volume underscores how computational archaeology is leading the way in the study of past human-environment interactions across spatial and chronological scales. With the increased availability of high-resolution climate models, agent-based modelling, palaeoecological proxies and the mature use of Geographic Information System in ecological modelling, archaeologists working in interdisciplinary settings are well-positioned to explore the intersection of human systems and environmental affordances and constraints. These methodological advancements provide a better understanding of the role humans played in past ecosystems ¿ both in terms of their impact upon the environment and, in return, the impact of environmental conditions on human systems. They may also allow us to infer past ecological knowledge and land-use patterns that are historically contingent, rather than environmentally determined. This volume gathers contributions that combine reconstructions of past environments and archeological data with a view to exploring their complex interactions at different scales and invites scholars from varying disciplines and backgrounds to present and compare different modelling approaches.

This volume studies high and late medieval material culture in a Pan-European context. The idea of ¿unity of culture¿ in Medieval Latin Europe is well known in historical texts, especially when it concerns the so-called ¿Europe North of the Alps¿. This book investigates the similarities and differences in material culture between areas, regions and political entities and opens the dialogue for a more interregional discussion.The editors acknowledge that there are numerous challenges in understanding the phenomenon the volume addresses, the fundamental one being defining (or even redefining) a common material culture of Europe. Important in determining this is greater appreciation of how objects reflect interactions between peoples, both local and foreign, which can be driven by a variety of factors, including trade, conflict and diplomacy etc. But just as important is observing the differences between ¿things¿ across Europe, reflecting developments and transformations its cultural, social and economic history. These works are traditionally presented in isolation or at the local level, maybe even in very specialized tomes, as often it is thought their observation are not relevant to wider discourses. Conversely, what is clear, however, is that by interconnecting these seemingly introvert studies of specific artefact types or sites etc., readers can better appreciate the similarities and differences in material culture across Europe. This book is of interest to researchers in archaeology and material culture.