Roger Doonan

Archaeology is paradoxical. On the one hand, academics present a sterile, scholarly past - a place spoken about with reserve and caution. On the other, at heritage centres the public are tantalised by romanticised images of the past, from which colourful figures trespass into the present. This book attempts a reconciliation between these two irreconcilables. Modernity has neutralised many sensual aspects of our existence that ancient people would have taken for granted, such as gutting (and smelling) dead animals. Through a series of case studies the authors show that the past can be better sensed. They explore aspects of prehistoric life as experienced by people in the past, such as their dwellings, artefact production, food and drink, disposal of the dead, moving through the landscape, and even procreation.

Covering aspects of archaeological science such as artefact analysis, ancient technology, trade and exchange, and dating materials, this book critically explores the pace and application of scientific techniques in the discipline of archaeology. Massive advances in archaeological understanding through the application of science have been made in areas that were once thought to be unrecoverable. Nevertheless the application of increasingly sophisticated analytical techniques has often masked poor archaeological questions, or perhaps stated something which can sometimes be blindingly obvious to simple non-technical observation. Conversely some aspects of our understanding of the past, which were once thought obvious, have been thrown into confusion by revelations born of the advances in archaeological science. The use and abuse of science within archaeological understanding are presented through a series of case studies.