Zimmerman Larry J. Presenting the Past

AltaMira Press, 2003. — 176 p. — (Archaeologist's Toolkit 7).Excavation is traditionally considered the heart of the archaeological enterprise. But it is an activity transformed over the past two decades of increasingly contract-based work. Carmichael and Lafferty lay out the basics of this brand of excavation for the novice reader in this handy, practical guide. After outlining the ethical concerns in archaeological excavation and the history of the endeavor, the authors walk the reader through the steps of contemporary excavation - site identification, remote sensing, test excavation, and various scales of recovery. They also deal with the complex issues of human burials uncovered in excavation. Written in an accessible, practical way, Carmichael and Lafferty's guide will be useful to students, field school attendees, and other novice fieldworkers.The Archaeologist's Toolkit is an integrated set of seven volumes designed to teach novice archaeologists and students the basics of doing archaeological fieldwork, analysis, and presentation. Students are led through the process of designing a study, doing survey work, excavating, properly working with artifacts and biological remains, curating their materials, and presenting findings to various audiences. The volumes-written by experienced field archaeologists-are full of practical advice, tips, case studies, and illustrations to help the reader. All of this is done with careful attention to promoting a conservation ethic and an understanding of the legal and practical environment of contemporary American cultural resource laws and regulations. The Toolkit is an essential resource for anyone working in the field and ideal for training archaeology students in classrooms and field schools.Larry J. Zimmerman is Professor of Anthropology and Museum Studies at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.