The essays in this book focus on archaeological approaches to the utilization of highland regions in southwestern and central Asia, examining the interplay between human communities and highland landscapes from the Paleolithic era to the present.

Contributions combine case studies with theoretical considerations to explore adaptive strategies of movement. They discuss the significance of mobility within archaeological and anthropological discourse. Contributors engage with critical questions:...

This collection provides interdisciplinary discussions of the impact of the heritage of modernity in archaeology and related disciplines from a theoretical and philosophical point of view. The ways the philosophical and scientific heritage of modernity shapes current human scientific thought is a much-discussed topic in archaeology, anthropology, and beyond. From central themes of modernity, such as reductionism, materialism, and physicalism, there is a connection to central archaeological an...

Mit der Bronzezeit verbreitete sich das begehrte neue Metall über ganz Europa. Es veränderte Arbeitssektoren, Netzwerke, Weltanschauungen und Gesellschaften und brachte unterschiedliche Transformationen in diversen Lebensbereichen mit sich. Mit diesem Buch werden alle Transformationsprozesse der Bronzezeit für den Raum Schleswig-Holstein in den Blick genommen.

In diesem Forschungsrahmen entwickelte sich die Fundstelle Mang de Bargen bei Bornhöved (Kreis Segeberg), einst Ziel von Kieswerke...

This dissertation investigates the dynamics of social inequality in the Carpathian Basin between the Late Neolithic and the Middle/Late Bronze Age (5200–1000 BCE) through a quantitative analysis of burial contexts. Employing statistical methods, including Gini indices and Generalized Entropy Measures, the study evaluates the extent, development, and underlying factors of inequality within prehistoric societies.

Key findings reveal a complex, cyclical pattern of inequality, challenging the n...

Tulou are traditional fortified multifamily dwellings prevalent in southern Fujian. In this 34st volume of the ASLU series Renyu Wang discusses three aspects of Chinese tulou heritage management. He first examines the tulou interpretation prevailing in southern Fujian. Based on building studies, oral history, genealogies and interviews, Wang tries to reconstruct a relatively complete landscape biography to describe the essential episodes of built environment evolution in the Hekeng River Vall...

In which chronological, spatial, and social contexts is gender a relevant social category that is noticeable in the archaeological material? How can transformations in social gender relations and identity be recognized archaeologically? Is the identity of prehistoric people defined by gender? If so, what is the accompanying cultural context? What about gender equality among the scientists working in archaeology? In what degree are research teams, as well as their scientific approaches, biased...

The terracotta figurines from Akragas (Agrigento) with their chubby faces, splendid furniture, and rich adornments, depict a prosperous life in the late sixth and early fifth century BCE. The extensive jewellery on the figurines contains strikingly large fibulae appliques fastening pectoral chains with several sorts of pendants. They are modelled after existing items. The form of the jewellery items changed fast, influenced by different peoples and changing fashions, which can be compared wit...

Representing both a barrier and a corridor between the Eurasian and Asian continents, the Caucasus has constituted the setting for various socio-economic transformations throughout prehistory. The transition from the Middle to the Late Bronze Age in the Northern Caucasus is a period characterised by a shift from pastoral lifeways in the steppe to sedentary lifestyles in the high mountains, and the change from hierarchical to egalitarian societies. In this context, this book provides basic sci...

Barkcloth or tapa, a cloth made from the inner bark of trees, was widely used in place of woven cloth in the Pacific islands until the 19th century. A ubiquitous material, it was integral to the lives of islanders and used for clothing, furnishings and ritual artefacts. Material Approaches to Polynesian Barkcloth takes a new approach to the study of the history of this region through its barkcloth heritage, focusing on the plants themselves and surviving objects in historic collections. This ...

From ca. 1600 – 1000 BC, builders across southern Greece crafted thousands of rock-cut chamber tombs similar to earlier and contemporary ‘beehive’ tholos tombs. Both tomb styles were designed with multiple uses in mind, filling with the remains of funerals forgotten over generations of reuse. In rare cases, the tombs were used once or seemingly not at all, cleaned thoroughly or sealed and abandoned entirely. Rather than focus on the missing or muddled record of funeral and post-funeral ...