The 5 Minute Archaeologist in the Southern Levant ed. by Cynthia Shafer-Elliot (review)

This is a peculiar little book that I like very much. It consists of 56 short essays intended to be answers to questions that archaeologists might be asked about archaeology by the person sitting next to them on an airplane; hence the phrase “5 minute archaeologist.” The questions range widely, from basic ones about the purpose of archaeology (e.g., Chapter 2, “How Does Archaeology Help Us to Understand the Past?”), to archaeological methods (Chapter 15, “Why Sift and How Often?”), to epistemology and ethics (Chapter 56, “Is it Ethical to Excavate in Contested Areas?”). A few of the questions are oddly specific (Chapter 27, “How Do You Identify a Dirt Road?” or Chapter 32, “How Does Bayesian Statistics Help Pinpoint Dating?”), but the vast majority is on topics about which I have been asked at various times by non-archaeologists.

The book is divided into four sections: “Basics,” which covers general archaeological methods; “Artifacts, Architecture, and Dating,” which covers aspects of analysis; “Types of Archaeology,” which is focused on theoretical perspectives and topical areas of interest; and “Ethical Issues,” which considers ethics but unfortunately misses some essential topics such as excavating human remains, working with descendant populations, and conducting research on unprovenienced artifacts.

As in any collection of essays, the quality varies, but there are no real duds in the book, and some of the essays are outstanding. For example, Aren Maeir’s essay “What is Archaeology?” provides an elegant overview of the purpose and practice of archaeology in less than three pages—it is a tour de force. Similarly, Sarah Kielt Costello creates a thorough answer to the question “What is Post-Processual Archaeology?” in three pages. Oren Borowski’s essay “Who Pays For All This?” is remarkably clear and comprehensive. Eric Welch in “What is a Phase and a Stratum?” provides an engaging introduction to what could have been an extremely dry topic, as does Tim Frank in his overview of taphonomy in “How Do You Identify an Artifact and How It was Used?” And there are other fine chapters in the book.

That covers what The 5 Minute Archaeologist in the Southern Levant is; now on to what the book is not. Foremost, it is not focused on the Southern Levant. Only two of the chapters (37 and 38) focus on issues that are truly unique to the Southern Levant, and only five others (3, 10, 25, 43, and 44) could be considered somewhat unique to Levantine archaeology. But the vast majority of the chapters focuses on topics, and even uses examples, that any archaeologist might be asked about. I think it was an unfortunate error to add “in the Southern Levant” to the title, as it makes it seem that the book is tightly focused when it is not. This is a book suited to anyone interested in archaeology anywhere in the world.

The book is also not a general introduction to archaeology, primarily because it lacks an overarching narrative or organization that would take a reader through the entire archaeological process of data recovery, analysis, and interpretation. Indeed quite a few of the chapters would assume some prior knowledge of archaeology (Chapter 22 “What is Primary vs. Secondary Use?”), and there are some important topics missing such as systematic recordkeeping and mapping. There is also considerable overlap between some of the chapters. In short, the book is a collection of short essays and not a textbook.

I recommend The 5 Minute Archaeologist in the Southern Levant to anyone with a general interest in archaeology. Professionals and graduate students might find some fodder for the classroom, but will learn nothing new from the book. Undergraduates might find the book useful as a companion to a general text in archaeology. But The 5 Minute Archaeologist in the Southern Levant is really aimed at a general reader, and for that purpose it is an excellent resource.