Research Guides: ANTH 244: Global Perspectives on Early Farmers (BMC): Home

Background Information on Plants

AccessScience @ McGraw-Hill
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Provides full-text access to articles, dictionary terms, biographies, research updates and links to related websites in all areas of science and technology. Covers 2000-present.

Cambridge World History of Food
This two-volume work encapsulates much of what is known of the history of food and nutrition throughout the span of human life on earth. Ranging from the eating habits of our prehistoric ancestors to food-related policy issues, this work covers the full spectrum of foods that have been hunted, gathered, cultivated, and domesticated; their nutritional makeup and uses; and their impact on cultures and demography. It offers a geographical perspective on the history and culture of food and drink and takes up subjects from food fads, prejudices, and taboos to questions of food toxins, additives, labeling, and entitlements.
USDA Plants Database
Search by common or scientific name or access by category. Contains taxonomic, geographical and image data on numerous plants.
The Plant List
A working list of all known plant species from a collaboration between the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Gardens. At the bottom of any species page, their are links to external databases, including ones with bibliographies (e.g. Biodiversity Heritage Library).

Getting Started

Reference books are a good place to get started on your research. We have many archaeology and agriculture-specific ones in Tripod. The Oxford Bibliographies series is also a good starting point, because it is specifically designed to help you find leads to additional sources.

Annual Review of Anthropology
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Review articles covering the discipline of anthropology including the subfields of archaeology, biological anthropology, linguistics, regional studies, and sociocultural anthropology. 1972-present. Do an Advanced Search to see the other Annual Reviews that may be useful for this class, such as Ecology & Evolution, Environment & Resources, Food Science & Technology, Plant Biology, Sociology, etc.

Cambridge Histories Online: World Prehistory
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The Cambridge World Prehistory provides a systematic and authoritative examination of the prehistory of every region around the world from the early days of human origins in Africa two million years ago to the beginnings of written history in each region. Chapters are written by well-regarded international scholars.

Encyclopedia of Archaeology
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The Encyclopedia of Archaeology encompasses all aspects of archaeology, including the nature and diversity of archaeology as a scientific discipline, the practice of archaeology, archaeology in the everyday world, and the future of the discipline. Featured in the Encyclopedia of Archaeology are articles by leading authors that summarize archaeological knowledge at the beginning the 21st century, highlighting important sites and issues, and tracing the development of prehistoric cultures around the globe.
Oxford Bibliographies in Anthropology
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Peer-reviewed annotated bibiliographies for Anthropology topics. We also have access to other Oxford Bibliography of Ecology may also be useful for this class.

Oxford Handbook of Archaeology
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This reference book contains regional overviews and several chapters on subsistence/agriculture/domestication and social complexity.
Oxford Handbook of Food History
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Recent scholarship on the subject draws from both a pathbreaking body of secondary literature and an inexhaustible wealth of primary sources--from ancient Chinese philosophical tracts to McDonald's menus--contributing new perspectives to the historical study of food, culture, and society, and challenging the limits of history itself. The Oxford Handbook of Food History places existing works in historiographical context, crossing disciplinary, chronological, and geographic boundaries while also suggesting new routes for future research.

Archaeological Terms

We have many general archeaology dictionaries and encyclopedias in Tripod. Search for "archaeology dictionaries" or "archaeology encyclopedias" to see them all. There also are many free online archaeology glossaries, such as About.com's Archaeology Dictionary.

Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology
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This dictionary has over 4000 entries defining essential vocabulary used in archaeology. We have a print copy on the 1st floor of Canaday.