Neither on topic nor off-topic - the blurb about the book doesn't indicate which countries are used as examples or case studies but I thought that the subject might be of interest in its own right.
Archaeological Approaches to Technology by Heather Margaret-Louise Miller
December 2006, 304 pages
"Writing in a cogent and engaging style, Miller leads us step-by-step through the intricacies of a breathtaking array of technologies and brilliantly captures how the material 'things' people make and use are embedded in their social lives.”
- Rita P. Wright, New York University
"As an introduction to archaeological studies of technology in an era of over-specialization, Millers pan-technology book is a welcome addition to our arsenal of teaching tools. By describing different technologies, she provides a worthy sequel to Otis T. Mason’s The Origins of Invention. Miller’s book is well written, informative, and speaks to contemporary issues in the study of technology."
- Michael Brian Schiffer, University of Arizona
The study of ancient technologies, that is, the ways in which objects and materials were made and used can reveal insights into economic, social, political, and ritual realms of the past. This book summarizes the current state of ancient technology studies by emphasizing methodologies, some major technologies, and the questions and issues that drive archaeologists in their consideration of these technologies. It shows the ways that technology studies can be used by archaeologists working anywhere, on any type of society and it embraces an orientation toward the practical, not the philosophical. It compares the range of pre-industrial technologies, from stone tool production, fiber crafts, wood and bone working, fired clay crafts, metal production, and glass manufacture. It includes socially contextualized case studies, as well as general descriptions of technological processes. It discusses essential terminology (technology, material culture, chaine operatoire, etc.), primarily from the perspective of how these terms are used by archaeologists.
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