Books by Joe Flatman

This study compares evidence for medieval ships and shipbuilding from archaeological sources with contemporary depictions in manuscripts. Traditionally evidence in illuminated manuscripts has been treated with caution and scepticism when it comes to medieval maritime study, and Joe Flatman attempts to assess more accurately their accuracy.

Whether it's Tomb Raider or Roman coins, the conventional view of archaeology as a discipline solely preoccupied with long dead cultures is misleading. In fact, archaeology is better described as a mode of thought one by which we can better understand our past, present and future. Indeed, by studying artefacts of past human activity, we can even learn to better tackle great contemporary challenges like high population density and climate change. Spanning the globe and centuries from Mesolithic burials in Sweden to modern landfill sites in Arizona Joe Flatman shows how to view the world with an archaeologist's insight. What does a discarded food packet reveal about contemporary consumption patterns? How can infrared satellite imagery tell archaeologists where to undertake expensive excavation projects? What can archaeology reveal about the beginnings of the human race? Replete with textboxes highlighting key case studies from the history of the subject, and containing invaluable diagrams and photos illustrating the reality of being an archaeologist, this is the essential primer to reading landscapes, objects, and places.