The Archaeologist's Laboratory

Ted Banning is a Canadian archaeologist and professor of Anthropology at University of Toronto. His research focuses on the Neolithic of the Near East, but his other interests include the theory and methods of archaeological survey and landscape archaeology, the spatial organization of ancient built environments, and the spatial and statistical analysis of microrefuse -tiny fragments of lithics, pottery, ground stone, shell, bone, and other materials in archaeological sediments. For more than three decades, he has directed field projects in northern Jordan, and previously served on the staff of excavations at the Pre-Pottery Neolithic site of 'Ain Ghazal, Jordan, at Tell al-Maskhuta, Egypt, and on surveys in southern Jordan and northeastern Egypt. He also has side interests in historical archaeology and numismatics, and especially the early history of numismatists and antiquarians in Canada. He is author of Archaeological Survey (Springer 2002), a member of the Society of American Archaeology and American Institute of Archaeology, and Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London.

Preface.- About the Book.- Table of Contents.- About the Author.- List of Figures.- List of Tables.- Part 1: Introduction.- Chapter 1. What are Data? Measurements and Errors.- Chapter 2. Summarizing Data: Descriptive Statistics.- Chapter 3. Systematics: Classification and Grouping.- Chapter 4. Compilations: Designing and Using Archaeological Databases.- Chapter 5. Visualizing Archaeological Data.- Chapter 6. Research Design and Sampling.- Chapter 7. Counting Things: Abundance and Other Quantitative Measures.- Chapter 8. Probability, Modelling, and Statistical Inference.- Chapter 9. Basic Artifact Conservation and Lab Management.- Chapter 10. Laboratory Health and Safety.- Part 2: Introduction.- Chapter 11. Stone Artifacts.- Chapter 12. Ceramic Artifacts.- Chapter 13. Metal Artifacts.- Chapter 14. Bone and Shell Tools.- Chapter 15. Archaeological Animal Remains.- Chapter 16. Archaeological Plant Remains.- Chapter 17. Soils, Sediments, and Geoarchaeology.- Chapter 18. Seriation.- Chapter19. Stratigraphy.- Chapter 20. Chronometric Dating.- Chapter 21. Archaeological Illustration and Publication.- Index.

"Ted Banning is awarded the Binford Family Award for Teaching Scientific Reasoning in Archaeology for his outstanding advocacy of scientific reasoning and practices in the classroom, diverse and vertically integrated teaching of scientific principles and critical thinking in textbooks, leadership in fostering basic scientific training in design and revision of undergraduate curricula including Specialist and Major programs, mentoring of graduates students, contributions to training in peer-reviewed scientific papers, and pedagogical outreach through diverse media. His sterling accomplishments over a lengthy teaching career are worthy model for teaching scientific reasoning in archaeology." (SAA  Society for American Archaeology, 2024)

"I expect this new edition to become a key textbook for my archaeological lab sciences courses, and I recommend it to others who are teaching similar classes. ... this book should age better than others and remain a valuable teaching resource for many years to come." (Ellery Frahm, American Antiquity, February 23, 2021)