Archaeology, History and Science

Rarely do archaeological studies provide critical consideration of how historical, archaeological, and scientific data relate to each other, or explicit attempts at demonstrating successful strategies for these kinds of interdisciplinary research. The authors in this volume provide such a critical consideration, examining a wide range of cultures, time periods, and materials. Using a combination of historical, archaeological, and scientific data is not an uncommon research practice. Rarely found, however, is a more overt critical consideration of how these sources of information relate to each other, or explicit attempts at developing successful strategies for interdisciplinary work. The authors in this volume provide such critical perspectives, examining materials from a wide range of cultures and time periods to demonstrate the added value of combining in their research seemingly incompatible or even contradictory sources. Case studies include explorations of the symbolism of flint knives in ancient Egypt, the meaning of cuneiform glass texts, medieval metallurgical traditions, and urban archaeology at industrial sites. This volume is noteworthy, as it offers novel contributions to specific topics, as well as fundamental reflections on the problems and potentials of the interdisciplinary study of the human past.