Traces: An Open Invitation to Archaeology

Project Summary

Members of the Society for Anthropology in Community Colleges are currently working on a new online text -- Traces: An Open Invitation to Archaeology. This book follows in the footsteps of two successful OER: Perspectives: An Open Invitation to Cultural Anthropology and Explorations: An Open Invitation to Biological Anthropology.

Traces is designed for a general introduction to archaeology class, focusing on the methods and theory of archaeological research and interpretation. The text begins with a consideration of how and why we do archaeology, addressing both social impact and practical concerns. We continue with an exploration of field methods (ex: survey and excavation) and archaeological analyses. Different chapters introduce mapping and dating techniques that consider the vast space and time depth of archaeological inquiry as well as what we can learn from the smallest artifacts and ecofacts. The book will be supplemented by case studies that could be used in classes that have a focus on world prehistory. There will also be supplementary materials including instructor resources and virtual labs.