The archaeology of island colonization : global approaches to initial human settlement

Author(s)

    • Napolitano, Matthew F.
    • Stone, Jessica H.
    • DiNapoli, Robert J.

Bibliographic Information

The archaeology of island colonization : global approaches to initial human settlement

edited by Matthew F. Napolitano, Jessica H. Stone, and Robert J. DiNapoli

(Society and ecology in island and coastal archaeology / edited by Victor D. Thompson)

University Press of Florida, 2021

  • : hardback

Available at  / 1 libraries

Search this Book/Journal

Note

Includes bibliographical references and index

Description and Table of Contents

Description

This volume details how new theories and methods have recently advanced the archaeological study of initial human colonization of islands around the world, including in the southwest Pacific, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, and Southeast Asia. This global perspective brings into comparison the wide variety of approaches used to study these early migrations and illuminates current debates in island archaeology.Evidence of island colonization is often difficult to find, especially in areas impacted by sea level rise, and these essays demonstrate how researchers have tackled this and other issues. Contributors show the potential of computer simulations of voyaging in determining the range of timing and origin points that were possible in the past. They discuss how Bayesian modeling helps address uncertainties and controversies surrounding radiocarbon dating. Additionally, advances in biomolecular techniques such as ancient DNA (aDNA), paleoproteomics, analysis of human microbiota, and improved resolution in isotopic analyses are providing more refined information on the homelands of initial settlers, on individual life courses, and on population-level migrations. Islands offer rich opportunities to examine the exploratory nature of the human species, providing insights into the evolution of watercraft technologies and wayfinding, the impact of humans on their new environments, and the motivations for their journeys. The Archaeology of Island Colonization represents the innovative ways today's archaeologists are reconstructing these unique paleolandscapes.

by "Nielsen BookData"

Related Books: 1-1 of 1

Details

Page Top