Historical ecology and archaeology in theory and practice

Extract

Although historical ecology has become a highly popular framework for contemporary archaeological research, archaeologists have always, in some form or another, been engaged with its study. Historical ecology and archaeology are inseparable; the techniques and methods of the latter are essential for accessing the deep time of human-environmental relationships, while interest in the former is implicated, whether explicitly or not, in all empirical, field-based archaeology. Two recent edited compilations, bringing together authors from a range of disciplines with a common interest in historical ecology, contribute significant theoretical and practical insights related to its study for archaeologists.