New edition of a classic previously published since 1987 by Penguin. Renfrew considers questions of language origins and what they imply about ethnic affiliation. He re-examines the problem of the spread of Indo-European languages and argues that early forms of these were spoken thousands of years earlier than we had previously assumed.
Widely praised for its comprehensive coverage, excellent graphics and well-organized layout, this invaluable introduction for students and enthusiasts of archaeology has been expanded to incorporate all the latest developments
In Prehistory, the award-winning archaeologist and renowned scholar Colin Renfrew covers human existence before the advent of written records–the overwhelming majority of our time here on earth–and gives an incisive, concise, and lively survey of the past, and of how scholars and scientists labor to bring it to light. Renfrew begins by looking at prehistory as a discipline, detailing how breakthroughs such as radiocarbon dating and DNA analysis have helped us to define humankind’s past–how things have changed–much more clearly than was possible just a half century ago. As for why things have changed, Renfrew pinpoints some of the issues and challenges, past and present, that confront the study of prehistory and its investigators. Renfrew then offers a summary of human prehistory from early hominids to the rise of literate civilization that is refreshingly free of conventional wisdom and grand “unified” theories. In this invaluable account, Colin Renfrew delivers a meticulously researched and passionately argued chronicle about our life on earth–and our ongoing quest to understand it.
For the Fourth Edition, new theoretical approaches, such as agency, materiality, and engagement theory, are added and earlier approaches analyzed afresh. Field methods and scientific techniques have been updated throughout, and new emphasis is placed on climate change and its impact on human affairs. The latest information on topics as varied as the Iceman, Pleistocene extinctions, and Ilama domestication is included, along with the most up-to-date material on GIS and surveying technology. New topics will be introduced to emphasize the ever-changing face of modern archaeology, and additional special box features will be included, as well as discussion of the archaeological techniques needed to study the material culture of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. A key component of the new edition will be the introduction of a dedicated Web site and study guide to accompany the textbook itself.
This new edition of Renfrew's groundbreaking study reprints the original text, enhancing it with a new introduction by the author and a foreword by John Cherry. It aims to revive interest in this landmark publication, which has been unavailable for an extended period, making its insights accessible to a new audience.
Kniha sa začína pohľadom na postupné objavovanie vzdialenej minulosti siahajúcej desaťtisíce rokov dozadu, ktoré sa začalo iba pred 150 rokmi. Začiatky archeológie, geológie, Darwinove myšlienky o evolúcii, jaskynné maľby, skamenení predkovia človeka, múzeá a zbierky, rádiokarbónové datovanie a analýzy DNA - to všetko je súčasťou dramatického vývoja prehistórie. Colin Renfrew ponúka nový pohľad a skúma sporné otázky a problémy. Spochybňuje všeobecne prijatý predpoklad, že najdôležitejšia ,,revolúcia ľudstva" sa odohrala pred 40 000 rokmi - keď sa v Európe po prvýkrát objavil Homo sapiens sapiens - a vyslovuje názor, že kľúčové zmeny nastali oveľa skôr. Náš druh sa vyvinul v Afrike zo staršieho hominidného predka, zrejme už pred 200 000 rokmi.
