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Elsevier

Books in Arts and humanities

Elsevier's Arts and Humanities titles encompass a rich spectrum of scholarship that explores human culture, history, philosophy, and creative expression. These works offer deep insights into language, literature, visual arts, and critical theory, supporting the academic community in understanding diverse perspectives and cultural legacies. Designed for scholars, educators, and students, this collection bridges classic studies with contemporary issues, fostering a deeper appreciation and knowledge of the human experience.

  • Quantitative Zooarchaeology

    Topics in the Analysis of Archaelogical Faunas
    • 1st Edition
    • Donald K. Grayson
    • English
    Quantitative Zooarchaeology: Topics in the Analysis of Archaeological Faunas presents the problems in the quantification of bones and teeth from archaeological and palaeontological sites. This book discusses the various kinds of statistical manipulations that are done with the measurements. Organized into seven chapters, this book begins with an overview of the quantification of vertebrate faunas from archaeological and, to some extent, palaeontological sites. This text then explains the interrelationship between various abundance measures and the size of the samples on which those measures are based. Other chapters consider the fundamental kinds of questions that every faunal analyst asks of a set of bones and teeth from an archaeological site. This book discusses as well the ratio scale measure of taxonomic abundance. The final chapter discusses the three issues that deal with different aspects of archaeological faunal analysis, namely, collection techniques, meat weights, and the analysis of the seasons of the year during which an archaeological deposit accumulated. This book is a valuable resource for archaeological faunal analysts, archaeologists, and paleontologists.

  • Prehistoric Subsistence on the Southern New England Coast

    The Records from Narragansett Bay
    • 1st Edition
    • David J. Bernstein
    • English
    Prehistoric Subsistence on the Southern New England Coast examines long-term trends in prehistoric subsistence in the Narragensett Bay region of Southern New England. The results suggest that, unlike other areas of Eastern north America, specialized agriculutral economies did not develop in this region prior to European contact. The book is accessible to both the general reader as well as scholars and students interested in consulting the original data for their own research and analysis.

  • Maya Subsistence

    Studies in Memory of Dennis E. Puleston
    • 1st Edition
    • Kent V. Flannery
    • English
    Maya Subsistence: Studies in Memory of Dennis E. Puleston presents studies on the history and development of Maya subsistence in honor of Maya archaeologist Dennis E. Puleston (1940-1978). The discussions are organized around four themes: ecological models for early Maya adaptations; archaeological investigations of Pre-classic and classic Maya subsistence; contributions of geography and soil science to an understanding of ancient Maya subsistence; and Maya subsistence in the post-classic, colonial, and modern eras. Comprised of 15 chapters, this book begins with an analysis of Puleston's career and a review of the history of inquiry into Maya subsistence. Maya subsistence from the earliest Pre-classic period up to the present day is then examined, with emphasis on agriculture, hunting, wild plant collecting, animal husbandry, and trade. In particular, cultural development in the Valley of Guatemala from 1500 B.C. to the Spanish Conquest is discussed, along with the resources of the tropical lowlands and actual prehistoric cornfields miraculously preserved by volcanic ashfall in El Salvador. The book also presents evidence for Maya soil and water conservation over the entire area from Yucatan to Chiapas and central Guatemala, and looks at the traditional role of women and animals in lowland Maya economy. This monograph will be of interest to archaeologists and anthropologists.

  • Advances in Archaeological Method and Theory

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 7
    • English
    Advances in Archaeological Method and Theory, Volume 7 is a collection of papers that deals with the study of gender, discovering new sites, and using remote sensing. Some papers describe the prestate societies in the Americas, intrasite archaeological records organization, and geomagnetic dating methods. One paper explains that an explicit framework for the archaeological study of gender should be formulated alongside the existing explicit theory of human social action. Organization of gender behaviors is connected to task differentiation, material culture, cultural solidarity, integration, extradomestic trade. Another paper notes that the extent of social differentiation seems to depend less on the number of people in a society than on its organizational divisions. It emphasizes that the total population and maximal community-size can also determine the number of administrative levels. One paper discusses the approaches and techniques in dealing with the problems of discovering unseen sites, name, their visibility and obtrusiveness. The individual archaeologists can apply remote sensing applications to pursue a cultural resource management or in a certain explanatory archaeological situation. Another paper explains how to obtain accuracy in dating objects and cultural events using geomagnetic methods. The collection is suitable for professional or amateur archaeologists, sociologists, anthropologist, and scientist involved in the analysis of artifacts.

  • Advances in Archaeological Method and Theory

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 6
    • English
    Advances in Archaeological Method and Theory, Volume 6 is a collection of papers dealing with the study of man's ancestors in antiquity. One paper compares archaeology in Europe and in North America where turn-of-the-century archaeologists, both professionals and amateurs, have contributed to the development of the science. Their contribution has led to an institutional sense of delineating professionals and amateurs in archaeological science and, more substantially, in matters of defining stone tools, cultural occupations, and cultural change. Another paper discusses large-scale stylistic trait distribution in broad terms related to archaeology, sociology, and geography. A model of cultural evolution simplifies anthropological concept of cultural complexity into inequality and heterogeneity, which are measurable variables to test hypotheses of cultural evolution. One paper cites the case of the Maya as subsistence and complex societies to show the diversity of Maya agriculture and other subsistence subsystems. One paper notes that the concepts and theory which archaeologists are using tend to be more sophisticated than their ability to provide samples of observations for testing. The collection is suitable for professional or amateur archaeologists, anthropologist, sociologists, and researchers interested in pre-historical times and cultures.

  • Current Algebras and Their Applications

    International Series of Monographs in Natural Philosophy
    • 1st Edition
    • B. Renner
    • D. ter Haar
    • English
    International Series of Monographs in Natural Philosophy, Volume 12: Current Algebras and their Applications provides an introduction to the underlying philosophy and to the technical methods associated with the use of the Current Algebra for the investigation of questions in elementary particle physics. This text contains 10 chapters and begins with the preliminary concepts and basic ideas of current algebras. The next chapters deal with the approximate symmetry and the dispersion theory of current algebras, as well as the current algebra sum rules with PCAC. These topics are followed by reviews of the principles of the low-energy theorems, the Schwinger terms, and the features of the dispersion theory. The last chapter examines the possible connections of current algebras and dynamics. This book will prove useful to mathematicians, physicists, teachers, and students.

  • Decision Table Languages and Systems

    • 1st Edition
    • John R. Metzner + 1 more
    • Robert L. Ashenhurst
    • English
    ACM Monograph Series: Decision Table Languages and Systems focuses on linguistic examination of decision tables and survey of the features of existing decision table languages and systems. The book first offers information on semiotics, programming language features, and generalization. Discussions focus on semantic broadening, outer language enrichments, generalization of syntax, limitations, implementation improvements, syntactic and semantic features, decision table syntax, semantics of decision table languages, and decision table programming languages. The text then elaborates on design implications, decision structure tables, spectrum of decision table use, and history of decision table programming. Topics include feature evaluation method, breadth of decision table applicability, and suggested design procedure. The book also takes a look at sequential test procedures and language references. The publication is a vital reference for researchers interested in decision table languages and systems.

  • Sensory Functions of the Skin in Primates

    With Special Reference to Man
    • 1st Edition
    • Yngve Zotterman
    • English
    Sensory Functions of the Skin in Primates: With Special Reference to Man deals with sensory functions of the skin in primates, particularly humans. The discussions are organized around three themes: mechanoreception, thermoception, and nociception. Comprised of 43 chapters, this volume begins with a detailed treatment of the natural and paranatural stimulation of sensory receptors, followed by an analysis of a theory of sympathetic-sensory coupling. The reader is then introduced to the "receptripse", the desmosome-like lamellar-axonal junction subserving mechano-electric transduction and inducing the sympathetic actions on the pacinian sensor. Subsequent chapters focus on differences in timing of corticocuneate and corticogracile actions; organization and neuronal morphology of the spinocervical tract; skin mechanoreceptors in the human hand; and cellular mechanisms in the parietal cortex in alert monkeys. The book also examines the response of central trigeminal neurons to cutaneous thermal stimulation and the role of thermoreceptors in thermoregulation. This monograph will be of interest to specialists in fields ranging from anatomy and biology to physiology and neurophysiology.

  • Macroeconomics

    Private and Public Choice
    • 1st Edition
    • James D Gwartney + 1 more
    • English
    Macroeconomics: Private and Public Choice discusses the principle of macroeconomics, particularly government expenditure, taxation, public choice theory, and labor markets. The book also covers aggregate supply, fiscal policy, inflation, unemployment, traditional Keynesian theory, low productivity, rapid inflation. The text explains international economics and comparative systems such as the export-import link, export taxes, and foreign finance. It analyzes the existence of trade barriers as being due to domestic protectionism policies, special interest nature of trade restrictions, and economic illiteracy. The book examines the economics of government failure, namely, the collective decision-making process as being both beneficial and limited of public sector economic action. Among the reasons cited for government failure are voter ignorance, inefficient public policy, existence of special interests, imprecise knowledge of consumer preferences, as well as government shortsightedness. The book also examines why government intervention in some activities can be beneficial, for example, weak market competition or monopoly, uninformed consumers, and when conditions of external benefits can be achieved. Economists, sociologists, professors in economics, or policy makers involved in economic and rural development will find the text valuable.

  • The Teacher and the Needs of Society in Evolution

    • 1st Edition
    • Edmund. J. King
    • English
    The Teacher and the Needs of Society in Evolution contains articles which focus on the international significance of analyzing the schools' changing context and perspectives, evolving institutions and methods of education, and response in research and development. The publication first elaborates on changing perspectives in the educational process and the role of schools in the future. Discussions focus on organizational and curricular changes, results of economic pressures on schools, ideological pressures on schools, education by synthesis and constructive comparison, changed dimensions of education, conditional relevance of schools, enlargement of educational concepts, and changes in occupational structure. The text then tackles the measurement of human abilities and their cultivation, status, role, and future of teachers, media and the teacher, and teachers, research, and curricular development. Topics include systems approach, team teaching, emphasis on learning, and teacher-role and teacher-status. The manuscript ponders on teaching and learning, educational crisis, hunger for learning, curriculum development, and cultural factors and the learning process. The publication is a dependable reference for educators and researchers interested in the changes occurring in schools.

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