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Although many archaeologists have a good understanding of the basics in computer science, statistics, geostatistics, modeling, and data mining, more literature is needed about the advanced analysis in these areas. This book aids archaeologists in learning more advanced tools and methods while also helping mathematicians, statisticians, and computer
This book is for students and practitioners of archaeology. It offers an introductory survey of all the applications of mathematical and statistical techniques to their work. These applications are increasingly concerned with computerized data classification and quantification, and their effect is to reduce the level of uncertainty in the interpretation of the evidence that time and chance have left. Any archaeologist wanting to find out what these new methods have to offer has hitherto been forced to search for information in the specialist handbooks, conference proceedings, and review articles of his own, and very often of other, disciplines. This book brings the information conveniently together, so far as it pertains to archaeology, and permits an assessment of its relevance and quality. Those who have been daunted by the specialist knowledge apparently demanded will now be able to acquire a thorough grasp of principles and practices. Only an elementary knowledge of mathematics is presumed throughout. Part 1 provides a brief introduction to basic concepts in archaeology and mathematics. Part 2 relates the standard archaeological techniques and procedures to mathematics; it concentrates on numerical approaches best suited to archaeological practices. Part 3 examines various automatic seriation techniques and discusses further work that is coming to play an essential part in the development of archaeology.
This book introduces archaeologists to the most important quantitative methods, from the initial description of archaeological data to techniques of multivariate analysis. These are presented in the context of familiar problems in archaeological practice, an approach designed to illustrate their relevance and to overcome the fear of mathematics from which archaeologists often suffer.
Reveals the extent to which Foucault's approach to language in The Archaeology of Knowledge was influenced by the mathematical sciences, adopting a mode of thought indebted to thinkers in the scientific and epistemological traditions such as Cavailles and
It is little secret that most archaeologists are uneasy with statistics. Thankfully, in the modern world, quantitative analysis has been made immensely easier by statistical software packages. Software now does virtually all our statistical calculations, removing a great burden for researchers. At the same time, since most statistical analysis now takes place through the pushing of buttons in software packages, new problems and dangers have emerged. How does one know which statistical test to use? How can one tell if certain data violate the assumptions of a particular statistical analysis? Rather than focusing on the mathematics of calculation, this concise handbook selects appropriate forms of analysis and explains the assumptions that underlie them. It deals with fundamental issues, such as what kinds of data are common in the field of archaeology and what are the goals of various forms of analysis. This accessible textbook lends a refreshing playfulness to an often-humorless subject and will be enjoyed by students and professionals alike.
This monumental book traces the origins and development of mathematics in the ancient Middle East, from its earliest beginnings in the fourth millennium BCE to the end of indigenous intellectual culture in the second century BCE when cuneiform writing was gradually abandoned. Eleanor Robson offers a history like no other, examining ancient mathematics within its broader social, political, economic, and religious contexts, and showing that mathematics was not just an abstract discipline for elites but a key component in ordering society and understanding the world. The region of modern-day Iraq is uniquely rich in evidence for ancient mathematics because its prehistoric inhabitants wrote on clay tablets, many hundreds of thousands of which have been archaeologically excavated, deciphered, and translated. Drawing from these and a wealth of other textual and archaeological evidence, Robson gives an extraordinarily detailed picture of how mathematical ideas and practices were conceived, used, and taught during this period. She challenges the prevailing view that they were merely the simplistic precursors of classical Greek mathematics, and explains how the prevailing view came to be. Robson reveals the true sophistication and beauty of ancient Middle Eastern mathematics as it evolved over three thousand years, from the earliest beginnings of recorded accounting to complex mathematical astronomy. Every chapter provides detailed information on sources, and the book includes an appendix on all mathematical cuneiform tablets published before 2007.
Transformations: Mathematical Approaches to Culture Change focuses on the application of contemporary mathematical techniques to the study of culture change and formulates problems in archaeology, anthropology, and historiography in such a way that they are susceptible to treatment of a mathematical kind. Mathematical models, extending from the almost purely quantitative methods of physics to the purely verbal conceptual explanations, are described. Emphasis is placed on catastrophe theoretic models that exemplify the use of soft mathematics in situations in which the use of hard quantitative models is not possible. Comprised of 21 chapters, this book begins with an overview of the role of mathematics in theoretical archaeology, followed by a discussion on two general categories of mathematical methods that seem to be suitable for modeling cultural transformations: methods of dynamical systems theory and methods that give greater emphasis on discrete entities and the structural relations or patterns among them. Subsequent chapters deal with the use of mathematics in history; morphogenesis in biological and social systems; simulation of the growth of hierarchies; and logistic trends in Southwest population growth. A reconstruction of political units in the Valley of Mexico during the Toltec period is also presented. This monograph will be of interest to archaeologists, anthropologists, historians, biologists, sociologists, and mathematicians.
In the decade since its publication, the first edition of Statistics for Archaeologists has become a staple in the classroom. Taking a jargon-free approach, this teaching tool introduces the basic principles of statistics to archaeologists. The author covers the necessary techniques for analyzing data collected in the field and laboratory as well as for evaluating the significance of the relationships between variables. In addition, chapters discuss the special concerns of working with samples. This well-illustrated guide features several practice problems making it an ideal text for students in archaeology and anthropology. Using feedback from students and teachers who have been using the first edition, as well as another ten years of personal experience with the text, the author has provided an updated and revised second edition with a number of important changes. New topics covered include: -Proportions and Densities -Error Ranges for Medians -Resampling Approaches -Residuals from Regression -Point Sampling -Multivariate Analysis -Similarity Measures -Multidimensional Scaling -Principal Components Analysis -Cluster Analysis Those already familiar with the clear and useful format of Statistics for Archaeologists will find this new edition a welcome update, and the new sections will make this seminal textbook an indispensible resource for a whole new group of students, professors, and practitioners.