Demography in Archaeology
Andrew T. Chamberlain
Andrew T. Chamberlain
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 1 edition (July 24, 2006)
Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 1 edition (July 24, 2006)
Demography in Archaeology is a review of current theory and method in
the reconstruction of populations from archaeological data. Starting
with a summary of demographic concepts and methods, the book examines
historical and ethnographic sources of demographic evidence before
addressing the methods by which reliable demographic estimates can be
made from skeletal remains, settlement evidence and modern and ancient
biomolecules. Recent debates in palaeodemography are evaluated, new
statistical methods for palaeodemographic reconstruction are explained,
and the notion that past demographic structures and processes were
substantially different from those pertaining today is critiqued. The
book covers a wide span of evidence, from the evolutionary background of
human demography to the influence of natural and human-induced
catastrophes on population growth and survival. This is essential
reading for any archaeologist or anthropologist with an interest in
relating the results of field and laboratory studies to broader
questions of population structure and dynamics.
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