The Past in Perspective An Introduction to Human Prehistory

by Feder, Kenneth L.

• ISBN13: 9780199950737
• ISBN10: 0199950733
• Additional ISBN(s): 9780190275860, 9780195391350
• Edition: 6th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2013-06-27
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• More Book Details

Summary

Ideal for introduction to archaeology and world prehistory courses, The Past in Perspective: An Introduction to Human Prehistory, Sixth Edition, is an engaging and up-to-date chronological overview of human prehistory. Kenneth L. Feder introduces students to "the big picture"--the grand sweep of human evolutionary history--presenting the human past within the context of fundamental themes of cultural evolution. Written in a refreshingly accessible voice, this unique narrative personalizes the past and makes it relevant to today's students. Using a consistent chapter format--"Prelude, Chronicle, Issues and Debates, and Case Study Close-up"--Feder helps students master both what we definitely know and what is still debatable about the complex story of the human past.

Author Biography

Kenneth L. Feder is Professor of Anthropology at Central Connecticut State University. He is the author or coauthor of several books, including Frauds, Myths, and Mysteries: Science and Pseudoscience in Archaeology (2010); Linking to the Past: A Brief Introduction to Archaeology, Second Edition (OUP, 2007); and Human Antiquity: An Introduction to Physical Anthropology and Archaeology (2006).

Table of Contents

Preface

1. Encountering the Past
2. Probing the Past
3. African Roots
4. The Human Lineage
5. The First Humans: The Evolution of Homo sapiens
6. Expanding Intellectual Horizons: Arts and Ideas in the Upper Paleolithic and Late Stone Age
7. Expanding Geographic Horizons: New Worlds
8. After the Ice: The Food-Producing Revolution
9. Roots of Complexity: The Origins of Civilization
10. An Explosion of Complexity: Mesopotamia, Africa, and Europe
11. An Explosion of Complexity: The Indus Valley and China
12. An Explosion of Complexity: Mesoamerica
13. An Explosion of Complexity: South America
14. An Explosion of Complexity: North America

Evolutionary Epilogue
Glossary
Hominin Cheat Sheet
References
Index