Archaeology and Ethnoarchaeology of Mobility - by Frédéric Sellet & Russell D Greaves & Pei-Lin Yu (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Humans are unique in their ability to inhabit an immense range of physical habitats. This capacity partially results from the need to cope with variation in spatial and temporal distributions of critical resources. Yet factors other than the search for food often impacts relocation. Information gathering, raw material collection, social networking, trade, and mate search each present mobility needs that compete with daily food searches. While physical evidence might explain such human behavior, ethnographic information can reveal how these events interrelate, providing the missing link between human activities and the remains preserved in the archaeological record.

Review Quotes

"A no-nonsense book which does exactly what it says on the cover. The twelve contributions are equally divided into two sections looking at ethnoarchaeological mobility and archaeological studies of mobility, with case studies ranging from Australia to Portugal via Kazakhstan, Madagascar, and Sulawesi. . . .More than deserves a place on the shelves of anyone working on mobility."----The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute

"A significant step forward in integrating studies of living systems with those of the archaeological record."--Journal of Human Evolution


"Provides much for archaeologists to think about. The collection will be a useful addition to the library of archaeologists and cultural anthropologists who study mobile people."--American Anthropologist

About the Author

Frédéric Sellet is associate professor of archaeology at the University of Kansas. Russell D. Greaves is research associate of the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, at Harvard University, and an adjunct associate professor of anthropology at the University of Utah. Pei-Lin Yu is an archaeologist with the U.S. Department of Interior's Bureau of Reclamation, Pacific Northwest Regional Office, and an assistant professor at Boise State University.