(2014) Greek Islands (Excluding Crete), Archaeology of (original) (raw)

2014, Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology

Archaeology-the study of human cultures through the analysis and interpretation of artifacts and material remains-continues to captivate and engage people on a local and global level. The significance of such international heritage sites such as the pyramids-both Egyptian and Mayan-the Lascaux caves, Stonehenge, and Petra all provide insights into our ancestors and their actions and motivations. However, there is much more to archaeology than famous sites. When archaeologists are asked to elaborate about their job, they will touch on archaeological theory, chemistry, geology, history, classical studies, museum studies, ethical practice, and survey methods, along with the analysis and interpretation of their sites. Archaeology is a much broader subject than its public image and branches out to many other fields in the social and hard sciences. The Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology provides a comprehensive and systematic coverage of archaeology that is unprecedented. It encompasses the breadth of the subject area along with those aspects that are tapped by other disciplines. In addition, it encompasses all time periods and regions of the world and all stages of human development. The entries range from succinct summaries of specific sites and the scientific aspects of archaeological enquiry, to detailed discussions of archaeological concepts, theories, and practice, the social and political dimensions of archaeology and archaeological ethics. The different forms of archaeology are explored, along with the techniques used for each and the challenges, concerns, and issues that face archaeologists today. This 11 volume Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology is available in both print and eReference versions. The print version has 1,625 contributions from 1,356 authors and over 11,634 cross-references. At the time of publication, another 200 entries have been commissioned for the eReference version. Through constant updating, the eReference version of the Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology will continue to access the best scholarship from around the world. Our aim is to ensure that this reference work will be as useful in twenty years as it is in two years. An Encyclopedia for a Global World The Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology was designed to be a definitive reference work for archaeologists, cultural heritage managers, and the general public. Its major aim is to disseminate global expertise in archaeology. vii We have achieved this through four innovations: an unparalleled level of contributions from archaeologists who do not normally publish in English, the conscious inclusion of multiple perspectives on key topics, biographies of major archaeological figures from throughout the world, and the combination of print and continuously updated eReference publication. The first major challenge for this encyclopedia was to access the best scholarship in the world. However, there was a fundamental problemarchaeological experts around the globe do not always write in English. The best scholars from throughout the world write in a variety of languages. For example, the problems of site conservation and preservation can be very different in different parts of the world-and the experts publish in their own languages. Moreover, not all specialist knowledge is published in English. Some of the most advanced thinking on archaeological theory comes from South America, while the French and Spanish have the deepest knowledge of Upper Palaeolithic rock art and the place to learn about largescale urban excavations or historic reconstructions is Japan. The experts from these countries publish their research in their own language. While some also publish in English, many don't-and even scholars who speak English can be reluctant to publish in English, as they may not have the level of written competency to fully express the complexity of their ideas. The answer was to allow non-English-language speakers to contribute to the encyclopedia in their own language. This accessed a torrent of hitherto untapped expertise. Around 140 entries and more than 300,000 words in the Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology have been translated from French, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. In addition, many more entries were submitted by authors whose first language is Chinese, German, Japanese or Turkish. Often, these entries involved significant editing, rewriting , and polishing in order to ensure academic standards and clear communication. This painstaking work was undertaken by the editors of the relevant sections and by myself. The authors and translators often had to review several versions of the text, and they did this without complaint. This cooperative and cosmopolitan approach has brought enormous strengths to the encyclopedia and produced something that is quite different to what has come before. The second challenge was to maximize the value of the Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology as a teaching resource for schools, colleges, and universities. Some of the best learning is achieved through comparison and debate. Accordingly, we have included multiple and regional perspectives on key topics to facilitate comparisons, especially at a global level, and provide rich materials for classroom debates. The ethics of commercial archaeology, for example, has individual entries that provide perspectives from Australia