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ArkaeoSources for students in archaeology
To make your research easier, we have compiled a specialized bibliography of essential references, media, and tools. This bibliography focuses on archaeology as a scientific discipline that studies objects made by human beings for human beings, including information on excavations, laboratory work, and more.
The selections were made for their scientific relevance and the breadth of their topics, encompassing various methodologies, theories, and case studies. To facilitate your research, the references are organized by category and, within each category, alphabetically. This classification is intended to facilitate rapid and structured access to high-quality and thought-provoking sources.
Selective references catalogue for students
Just a reminder : archaeologists are not paleontologists.
A video such as Archaeology dig reveals preserved dinosaur does not represent the work of archaeologists, but of paleontologists studying dinosaurs. Therefore, this video should be called “Paleontologist dig reveals preserved dinosaur”. This misconception on archaeology is unfortunately very common.
A frequent mistake is to link archeological research and excavating.
In this scenario, neither paleontologists nor geologists would exist. However, geology has given archaeology a tool: the study of stratigraphy. Archaeology is not solely about excavation, but rather the exploration of human civilization through its technological artifacts and his/fer traces. This is why some archaeologists do not dig up artifacts, but instead focus on structures that are still standing, such as churches, or on objects like medieval manuscripts.
Archaeologists network
- ORCID — A free, unique, persistent identifier (PID) for individuals to use as they engage in research, scholarship, and innovation activities with an international directory of archaeologists and other disciplinary fields.
- Immediate access to the “archaeology” segment of Calenda, a platform for social science events, allows you to explore forthcoming conferences, symposiums, and call-for-papers related to your field of interest.
- From the category “Archaeological Organizations” on Wikipedia, find worldwide organizations, including the European Association of Archaeologists (which is based in Strasbourg) as well as the World Archaeological Congress.
- EU-Citizen.Science — European Citizen Science aims to create a globally connected, inclusive and strong citizen science community for societal change in Europe.
- Coalition for Archaeological Synthesis (CfAS) — CfAS fosters collaborative research by connecting scholars, building research teams, and by breaking down institutional, disciplinary, and societal barriers.
- Managing Artificial Intelligence for Archaeology (MAIA) — MAIA is here to investigate Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications within archaeology.
- Community on the Illicit Trade in Cultural Material from the EAA — The CITM supports the following codes of principles concerning stewardship (note here Hamilakis 1999 and 2003 for a critical view on the topic) and commercialisation of archaeological material
- PastForwardHUB — PastForwardHub is a global career platform connecting archaeologists with jobs, colleagues, and resources across academic, commercial, and public sectors (fees).
Theory in science
- Humphreys P. (ed). The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Science. 2016. — Combines coverage of traditional areas in the philosophy of science, such as causation, explanation, and theory structure, with chapters on new areas such as philosophy of astronomy, data, complexity theory, and emergence.
- Lasonen-Aarnio M. and Littlejohn Cl. (eds). The Routledge Handbook of the Philosophy of Evidence. 2024 — The concept of proof/evidence is a cornerstone of scientific epistemology (what justifies a belief, how to compare hypotheses, what types of evidence count). This handbook is designed as a state-of-the-art overview of these issues.
Theory in archaeology
- Andrew J. Archaeological theory and scientific practice. Cambridge. 2002.
- Bruneau Ph. et Balut P.-Y., Artistique et archéologie. Mémoires d’Archéologie Générale, Paris, 1997. — in French, but the only theoretical work in archaeology based on a clinical basis. Go also to anthropologiedelart.org
- Gardin J.-Cl., Une archéologie théorique, Paris, 1979.
- Johnson M. Archaeological theory. An introduction. Malden (MA). 2000.
- Lull V., Los objetos distinguidos. La arqueologia como excusa, Serie general universitaria 68, Barcelona, 2007. — In Spanish, but an approach to the experimentation unmatched in theoretical works in archaeology
The approach in archaeology
- The videos from ArkeoTopia YouTube channel with Playlist: 5 Minutes of Archaeology — Testimonials from professionals in French, but with English subtitles for some.
- Anastasio S. Building between the Two Rivers: An Introduction to the Building Archaeology of Ancient Mesopotamia. Archaeopress. 2020.
- Domingo I., Burke H. y Smith Cl. Manual de campo del arqueologo, 2007.
- Hermon S. and Fabian P. “Virtual reconstruction of archaeological sites. Some archaeological scientific considerations (Avdat roman military camp as a case-study)”. in: Niccolucci F. (ed). Virtual archaeology. BAR-IS 1075. Proceedings of the VAST Euroconference, Arezzo 24-25 November 2000. Oxford. 2002. p. 103-108.
- Hockney D. Secret Knowledge: Rediscovering the Lost Techniques of the Old Masters. Avery. 2001.
- Maschner D. G. and Chippindale Ch. Handbook of archaeological methods. New York. 2005.
- Matthieu J. R. Experimental archaeology: replicating past objects, behaviors, and processes. BAR-IS 1035. Oxford. 2002.
- Mcintosh J. The practical archaeologist. How we know what we know about the past. 1999.
- Niccolucci F. and Hermon S. “A fuzzy logic approach to reliability in archaeological virtual reconstruction”. in: Proceedings of the 32nd International Conference on Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology Conference, CAA 2004 13-17 April, 2004. Archaeolingua. 2010.
- Pactols Thesaurus: Controlled, standardized and multilingual vocabulary for archaeology, from prehistory to the contemporary period and for the sciences of antiquity in all their aspects.
- Papaconstantinou D. Deconstructing Context: A Critical Approach to Archaeological Practice. Oxford. 2006.
- Pétrequin P. et Pétrequin A.-M., La Préhistoire du Jura et l’Europe néolithique en 100 mots-clés, Presses universitaires de Franche-Comté 1500, Les Cahiers de la MSHE Ledoux 44, Centre archéologique de la vallée de l’Ain 45, juin 2021.
- Pearsall D. M. Encyclopedia of Archaeology. Oxford. 2008.
- Preucel R. W. Archaeological Semiotics (social archaeology). Malden (MA). 2006.
- Quirce Th.-T. et Gransard-Desmond J.-O., «Les méthodes d’identification typologique et fonctionnelle d’une occupation pendant l’époque romaine, en France. Entre apports et limites pour la recherche archéologique», ArkéoTopia [En Ligne: 21/09/2021]. — in French, but the only analysis of this kind with a recent review on the subject.
- Saraydar S. C. Replicating the past. The art and science of the archaeological experiment. Long Grove (IL). 2008.
- Yin R. K. Case study research: design and methods. Sage Publications. 2014. – A manual on how to document and present case studies that do not involve archaeological discoveries from an excavation.
The Archaeologist’s Tools
To supplement their digital arsenal, archaeologists can use a collection of guides and studies for tasks such as site preparation, fieldwork, lab testing, and sharing findings.
Digital tools
- The PACTOLS thesaurus provides access to a comprehensive database of Multilingual archaeological keywords, which can be cross-referenced with the Getty International database.
- Zotero will enable you to accurately catalog your collections — Free and open-source software. Archaeological groups on Zotero.
- QGIS will allow you to process and analyze your spatial data — Free and open-source software.
- The MAGéo software allows the design of virtual architectural landscapes and the study of the dynamics and interactions of artifacts using the multi-agent system on geographic data. —In French, only this software can help formulate hypotheses regarding pedestrian and transport traffic.
- ArkeoGis. Mapping, conserving, studying, managing spatialized data — Free cloud databases come from different sources: institutional researchers’ work (either personal or contractual researches), graduate students’ researches, private companies and archaeological heritage management services.
- Master the art of research documentation by keeping a lab notebook and ensuring compliance with quality assurance protocols with the Archaeology Lab Manual (2022) and Good Laboratory Notebook Practices (CC BY-NC Columbia University READI Program).
- Through the article “Plaidoyer pour inviter les scientifiques à investir la galaxie Wikimédia,” learn how to connect on Wikipedia and other Wikimedia initiatives, as well as how to use certain projects for archaeological studies. — In French, this is the only article presenting an approach to the various projects, including Wikipedia, for scientific research. Other works exist like The Archaeology Data Service and Wikidata that are more focused on Wikidata or specific aspects of the Wikimedia ecosystem.
- Numerous portals provide complimentary access to online research articles and books. These include the HAL-Open science, Internet Archive, Digital Classicist Wiki and The Getty Research Portal™. These legal and free download platforms offers art history and archaeology books in French, English, Italian and other languages from various institutions.
- On a global scale, various synthesis resources are available, including the European infrastructure Ariadne and the Database of Religious History, a repository dedicated to intangible cultural heritage.
- Open Science: what opportunities does it present for archaeology? Find out in the article of Marwick B., “Open Science in Archaeology.” The SAA Archaeological Record 17/4. September 2017. p. 8-14 [OnLine]. To know more about Open Science itself, read UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science. 2021.
- Artefacts. Online Encyclopedia of Archaeologial Small Finds — This free access and collaborative database reflects the work of many researchers who contribute to creating a definition, typology and references for small finds.
- Explore archaeological data sets from international organizations like Wikidata, openhistoricalmap.org or the CfAS data sources to find from USA with The Digital Archaeological Record, United Kingdom with Archaeology Data Service, France with data.gouv.fr and so on.
- Open Archaeology Software & Resources on Github
- Participate in the fight against antiquities trafficking with the ID-Art mobile app.
Books and papers
- Benko H., Ishak E. W. and Feiner S., “Collaborative mixed reality visualization of an archaeological excavation”. in: Proceedings of the International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality (ISMAR 04), 3rd IEEE and ACM International Symposium on Volume, 2-5 nov. 2004. 2004. p. 132-140.
- Clarke D. L. Models in archaeology. London. 1972.
- Collectif, Dictionnaire de la Préhistoire, Paris, 1999.
- Connolly D. Digital Photography in Archaeology: A Basic Guide. BAJR Practical Guide Series 12.
- Deutsch Archeological Institut, Layers of perception. Advanced technological means to illuminate our past, Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology Conference, Berlin, 2-6 april 2007, Berlin, 2007.
- Green D., Cosmas J., Itagaki T., Waelkens M., Degeest R. and Grabczewski E. “A real time 3D stratigraphic visual simulation system for archaeological analysis and hypothesis testing”. in: Proceedings of Virtual reality, archaeology and cultural heritage (VAST), Glyfada, Nr Athens, Greece, november 28-30 2001. New York. 2001. p. 271-277.
- Griffiths N., Jenner A. and Wilson A. Drawing archaeological finds. 1990.
- Hawker J. M. A manual of archaeological field drawing. 2001.
- Kipfer B. A. The archaeologist’s fieldwork companion. Malden (MA). 2008.
- Renfrew C. Archaeology: Theories, Methods, and Practice. Thames & Hudson. 2016. — The reference books to know
Epistemology - History of archaeology
- Edsel R. M. and Witter B. The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History. Center Street. 2009.
- Fagan B. M., A brief history of archaeology. Classical times to the twenty-first century, New Jersey, 2005.
- Trigger B. G., A history of archaeological thought, Cambridge, 2006.
- Renfrew C. Archaeology: Theories, Methods, and Practice. Thames & Hudson. 2016
Archaeology and society
- Díaz-Andreu M. and Champion T. Nationalism and Archaeology in Europe. Routledge. 1996. — Review by H. Härke
- DISCO project — Discovering the Archaeologists of Europe is a transnational project, examining archaeological employment and barriers to transnational mobility within archaeology across European countries.
- Gransard-Desmond J.-O. “What is really archaeology for?”. 21 October, 2023 [OnLine] https://test.jpl-box.fr/en/what-is-really-archaeology-for/
- Wienberg J. “The Perishable Past – On the Advantage and Disadvantage of Archaeology for Life”. Current Swedish Archaeology 7/1. 1999. pp. 183–202. [OnLine] 10.37718/CSA.1999.13.
- Schall Céline, La médiation de l’archéologie à la télévision : la construction d’une relation au passé, mémoire de doctorat sous la direction de Davallon J., Vilatte J.-C. et Schiele B., Marseille, 31 août 2010. [En ligne] tel-00512256v2 — In French, the only study examining the impact of archaeology on films and television.
Law and ethics
- Collective. Valletta Treaty on Wikipedia [consulted 30 December, 2025]
- CEN. Monitoring of archaeological deposit. 2022 — European standard about monitoring of archaeological deposits request
- Droit et archéologie. 1998-2008 — website about law in France
- Négri V., Cornu M. et Fortis É., Archéologie & bien commun. Figures de la propriété et du préjudice archéologiques, Rapport de recherche 17.35, juin 2021. — In French, the first legal study on archaeology as a common good, conducted by lawyers and archaeologists.
- UNESCO. Recommendation on International Principles Applicable to Archaeological Excavations. 1956
- William D. L. Archaeological Ethics and Law in United States. 2006.
Tools from other disciplines applied to archaeology
Biology
- Turney Ch., Canti M., Branch N. and Clark P. Environmental archaeology: Theoretical and Practical Approaches. Routledge. 2005.
- Wilkinson K. and Stevens Ch. J. Environmental archaeology: Approaches, Techniques and Applications. Tempus. 2003.
Ethnology
- Hodder I. Symbols in action. Ethnoarchaeological studies of material culture. Cambridge. 1982.
- Lyons D. and Nicholas D. “To Hell with Ethnoarchaeology … and Back!”. Ethnoarchaeology 11/2. 2019. pp. 99‑133.
Geology - stratigraphy
- Harris E. C. Principles of Archaeological Stratigraphy. London. 1979. — Updated information on harrismatrix.com
- Herz N. and Garrison E. G. (eds). Geological Methods for Archaeology. Oxford University Press. 1998.
- Margueron J.-Cl., « Stratigraphie et architecture de terre », Syria 63, 1968, p. 257-271. — In French, only analysis of stratigraphy on questions of earthen architecture
Mathematics - statistics
- Fletcher M. and Lock G. R. Digging numbers: elementary statistics for archaeologists. Monograph 33. Oxford. 2005.
- Otárola-Castillo E. and Torquato M. G. “Bayesian Statistics in Archaeology”. Annual Review of Anthropology 47. 2018. pp. 435‑53.
Physic applied to archaeology
- Archaeometry journal
- Evin J., Lambert G.-N., Langouët L., Lanos Ph. et Oberlin Ch., Les méthodes de datation en laboratoire, Paris, 2005. — In French, the only synthesis on laboratory dating methods for archaeology
- Horsley T. J. The Use of Geophysical Survey in Archaeology. In Emerging Trends in the Social and Behavioral Sciences. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. 2015.
- Schmidt A. “Archaeology, Magnetic Methods”. In: Gubbins D. and Herrero-Bervera E. (eds). Encyclopedia of Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism. pp. 23-31. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series Heidelberg, Springer. 2007 — Others resources on Armin Schmidt personal website
Psychology - documents analysis
- Gombrich E. H., L’art et l’illusion. Psychologie de la représentation picturale, Hong-Kong, 2002. — In French, the only study on the psychology of representations and its consequences in image production
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