Widely praised for its comprehensive coverage, excellent graphics, and well-organized layout, this invaluable introduction to the discipline of archaeology has been expanded to include all the latest developments.

Colin Renfrew and Paul Bahn provide a comprehensive overview of the theories and methods of practicing archaeologists worldwide in the field, the laboratory, and the library. There are over one hundred special features, fifteen entirely new, on major topics from underwater archaeology to radiocarbon dating, from the origins of farming to the archaeology of gender.

The revised edition also includes: in-depth case studies on important projects and key sites; detailed information on new approaches and new methods such as GIS and optical dating: and illustrated descriptions of the dramatic archaeological finds of the 1990s such as the Alpine "iceman," pre-Columbian gold finds at Sipan and Sican, and the Paleolithic painted caves of Cosquer and Chauvet in France.