- Paperback: 720 pages
- Publisher: OUP USA; 4 edition (27 May 1999)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0195085728
- ISBN-13: 978-0195085723
- Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 18.8 x 3.6 cm
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 933,875 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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A solid, well-written, up-to-date, authoritative text ... It will continue to set a standard matched by few of its rivals (American Antiquity )
Product Description
Patterns of Prehistory is a comprehensive survey of world prehistory, from the origins of early hominids several million years ago to the evolution of the first great states and civilizations, focusing on the problem of formulating scientific explanations of the great cultural transformations of the past. In this fourth edition, Wenke has completely updated the text to incorporate recent archaeological discoveries and to address the insights and limitations of the new wave of "post-processual" or "cognitive" archaeology.
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The archaeologist-adventurers of film and fiction never seem to have any doubts about what they are looking for or why they want it. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
The archaeologist-adventurers of film and fiction never seem to have any doubts about what they are looking for or why they want it. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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2 reviews
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Comprehensive and Well-Written
9 Jun 2002
Format:Paperback
I found myself listening to people whine and complain about the detail that Wenke goes into when discussing a topic. As compared to a textbook such as Fagan's 'People of The Earth', 'Patterns in Prehistory' certainly is rather long-winded in some regards. When cramming for a test, it might not be the best, yet I thouroughly enjoyed reading through it. It feels as though you are having a discussion with Mr. Wenke himself, not trudging through the required reading before a lecture. It's the kind of textbook you take with you to a comfortable chair and read leisurely, not one with which you come armed with highliter, expecting helpful 'test terms' and colorful pictures. I'm glad I was able to use this textbook as opposed to Fagan (which I've glanced over). I feel that I have come away with a much better understanding than those who failed to get past the small print and long chapters. And compared to other textbooks, it's a steal pricewise. Mr. Wenke is an excellent writer with an obvious passion for his field, I thank him for a solid read.
10 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Good, but not great.
18 Aug 2000
Format:Paperback
This is a suitable textbook for an introductory class on world prehistory. Comrehensive in scope, it goesd from australopithecus to the pre-contact in the New World. Wenke's writing is simple and straightforward, so even generalists with no archaeological background will be able to follow easily. The writing is even occasionally enlivened with Wenke's oft-present sardonic wit, although this falls flat a lot of the time. However, the sheer timespan covered by this text prevents it from going into any interesting detail, leaving the surface barely scratched. While easy to read, it's of less use, the further up one goes in the field of archaeology. It's also rather difficult to take notes from, and contains pages of daunting, unbroken texts. Some neat charts to break up the flow would help students. Perhaps because I have gone beyond this level now, I'm an arky snob, but I was less than impressed with this book.
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