Retrospective and prospective for scientific provenance studies in archaeology / A. M. Pollard.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Pollard, A. M., author.

Series:

Cambridge elements. Elements in current archaeological tools and techniques, 2632-7031.

Cambridge elements. Elements in current archaeological tools and techniques, 2632-7031

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Archaeology--Methodology--History--20th century.

Archaeology.

Archaeology--Study and teaching (Higher)--History--20th century.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (76 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2025.

Summary:

Provenance has been one of the major scientific applications in archaeology for a hundred years. The 'Golden Age' began in the 1950s, when large programmes were initiated focussing on bronzes, ceramics, and lithics. However, these had varying impact, ranging from wide acceptance to outright rejection. This Element reviews some of these programmes, mainly in Eurasia and North America, focussing on how the complexity of the material, and the effects of human behaviour, can impact on such studies. The conclusion is that provenance studies of lithic materials and obsidian are likely to be reliable, but those on ceramics and metals are increasingly complicated, especially in the light of mixing and recycling. An alternative is suggested, which focusses more on using scientific studies to understand the relationship between human selectivity and processing and the wider resources available, rather than on the simple question of 'where does this object come from'.

Contents:

Cover

Title page

Copyright page

Retrospective and Prospective for Scientific Provenance Studies in Archaeology

Contents

1 The Provenance Hypothesis

2 The Origins of Chemical Analysis in Archaeology

3 The First Expressions of Provenance

4 The Archaeological Framework

5 Provenance in Practice

6 The 'Golden Age' of Provenance Studies

6.1 Lithics

6.2 Ceramics

6.3 Glass

6.4 Metals

7 Cracks in the Façade

7.1 Time and Transport

7.2 Raw Materials Processing

7.3 High Temperature Processing

7.4 Mixing and Recycling

8 Towards a New Provenance Hypothesis

References.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 07 Feb 2025).

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

1-009-59223-8

1-009-59224-6

1-009-59220-3

OCLC:

1537957020