Human Bioarchaeology of the Transition to Agriculture

Human Bioarchaeology of the Transition to Agriculture book cover

Human Bioarchaeology of the Transition to Agriculture

Author(s): Ron Pinhasi (Editor), Jay T. Stock

  • Publisher: Wiley
  • Publication Date: 11 Feb. 2011
  • Edition: 1st
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 500 pages
  • ISBN-10: 0470747307
  • ISBN-13: 9780470747308

Book Description

A holistic and comprehensive account of the nature of the transition from hunting to farming in prehistory. It addresses for the first time the main bioarchaeological aspects such as changes in mobility, behaviour, diet and population dynamics.

This book is of major interest to the relevant audience since it offers for the first time a global perspective on the bioarchaeology of the transition to agriculture. It includes contributions from world-class researchers, with a particular emphasis on advances in methods (e.g. ancient DNA of pathogens, stable isotope analysis, etc.).

The book specifically addresses the following aspects associated with the transition to agriculture in various world regions:

  • Changes in adult and subadult stature and subadult growth profiles
  • Diachronic trends in the analysis of functional morphological structures (craniofacial, vault, lower limbs, etc.) and whether these are associated with change in overall sex-specific morphological variability
  • Changes in mobility
  • Changes in behaviour which can be reconstructed from the study of the skeletal record. These include changes in activity patterns, sexual dimorphism, evidence of inter-personal trauma, and the like.
  • Population dynamics and microevolution by examining intra and inter population variations in dental and cranial metric traits, as well as archaeogenetic studies of ancient DNA (e.g. mtDNA markers).

Editorial Reviews

Review

“The book comprises numerous excellent case studies incorporating traditional osteometric methods with newer approaches such as stable isotopes, biomechanics, and paleogenetics, casting a much broader net than Cohen and Armelagos’ volume, which focused explicitly on paleopathological indicators of health.”  (American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 5 October 2012)

From the Inside Flap

Human Bioarchaeology of the Transition to Agriculture provides a multidisciplinary account of the nature of the transition from hunting and gathering to pastoralism and farming in prehistory. It addresses for the first time important bioarchaeological aspects of the debate such as changes in growth; body size variation and adaptation; mobility, biomechanics and behaviour; and population dynamics. The volume also presents new research in molecular anthropology, including evidence for dietary change using isotope analysis, population history and adaptation using ancient DNA.

The volume features:

  • Up-to-date evidence for the impact of the transition to agriculture on human biology and behaviour
  • The integration of different approaches to the analysis of ancient human remains
  • A global approach with chapters dealing with Europe, Asia, Africa and North and South America
  • Contributions from key researchers in the area

The book will prove invaluable to specialists, practitioners or professionals in the fields of biological anthropology, bioarchaeology and prehistoric archaeology needing a global and multidisciplinary prospective on the transition to agriculture.

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