Skyline College
Library

 

Prehistory/Anthropology/Archaeology
Research Links Page

Catalog for Finding Books
Databases for Finding Magazine & Journal Articles
Selected Web Sites
Guide to Library Resources for Anthropology 155

Books:

The PLS Online Catalog is the online catalog to find books in Skyline Library and in all libraries in the Peninsula Library System. After clicking on the link above to access the catalog, follow the steps below:

  • Type search words (title, author and/or subject) in the first search box & click Submit.
  • The search results will show books and other materials in all libraries in the PLS system.
  • To Limit your results to books at Skyline College Library, scroll down to Limit to: Location: pull-down menu below the search boxes, scroll down in the Location: pull-down menu, select Skyline College & then click the Submit button.

  • Subject headings related to prehistory:
    • Prehistoric peoples
    • Primitive societies
    • Neolithic period
    • Religion, Prehistoric
    • Civilization, Ancient
    • Antiquities [and place name], e.g. America -- Antiquities

You can also start by browsing the shelves:
Call numbers for the main area for books on prehistory: GN 739 - GN 743.


Magazine & Journal Databases (to access articles):

InfoTrac Expanded Academic ASAP Database: excellent general academic periodical database.
Available from off-campus--as long as you have a library card (library card bar code number is required). 

  • To search only for articles that include the full text (the whole article) in the database, check the "articles with text" box under "Limit the current search" (below the text entry box)
  • To narrow searches, combine concepts with AND.
  • Once you find one article specifically on your topic, click on any relevant subject headings (near the bottom of the article page) to find more articles on that topic.
  • Subject headings related to prehistory:
    • Prehistoric peoples
    • Primitive societies
    • Civilization, Ancient
    • Antiquities [and place name], e.g. America -- Antiquities

ProQuest Psychology Journals - on campus OR off-campus w/ library card
Academic journal database including the following full-text anthropology journals:

American Anthropologist: 2000 – current
Annual Review of Anthropology: 1997 - current, delayed 1 year
Anthropology and Education Quarterly: 2000 – current
Canadian Review of Sociology and Anthropology: 1992 – current
Current Anthropology: 1996 - current


JSTOR scholarly journals (thru SF Public Library: SFPL library card required for access):
Archive of full text academic journals--especially in history & social sciences-- going back to1838.
After clicking on the link above, a new window will open.
After connecting to SFPL, follow the directions below:

  • Scroll down & click on JSTOR full text (listed alphabetically)
  • Click on Search
  • Select one or more disciplines, e.g. Anthropology, Archaeology & History
  • Enter search words & click Begin Search
  • If too many articles are found, click on "Modify Search", change search field from full-text to abstract & search again
  • To email an article:
    • follow directions for printing or downloading,
    • select "PDF Economy" printing preference/format
    • when pdf image file is displayed, click the "File" pull-down menu, select "Send" & "Page by E-mail"
    • Enter e-mail address in "To:" entry box and click "Send"


Recommended Web Sites:


General Anthropology Sites

 

American Anthropological Association: Anthropology Resources on the Internet - http://www.aaanet.org/resinet.htm
"Lists only a few of the largest and up-to-date sites with links to anthropology resources on the Internet. These sites are good places to begin investigating the enormous wealth of anthropological materials now available on the Internet." From the American Anthropological Association. -from LII* 

 

Anthro.Net: Anthropology and Archaeology - http://www.anthro.net/
"Anthro.Net queries a database of over 40,000 reviewed web sites with anthropological content built by the interest's of its users. The system collects the search terms submitted by its users and uses proprietary software to hunt down internet based journal articles, well developed topical sites and bibliographic references for anthropology, archaeology and the other social sciences. Anthro.Net uses a spider or robot program to check for outdated and dead links. The site contains dynamically generated news and anthropology features updated around the clock."

Anthropology Resources on the Internet - http://www.anthropologie.net/
A great place to begin searches for anthropology materials on the Internet. Includes lists of discussion groups; programs and files via FTP; gopher servers; World Wide Web servers on general anthropology, archaeology, archaeological digs, linguistics, cultural anthropology, physical anthropology, museums, academic departments, other institutions, commercial sites; electronic journals and archives; and other anthropology resource collections. -from LII*  

ArchNet - http://archnet.asu.edu/toc/toc.php
Provides access to archaeological resources available on the Internet. Information is organized by geographic region and subject. A Virtual Library site.

The Archaeology Channel - http://www.archaeologychannel.org/
This site attempts to "explore the human cultural heritage through streaming media." (Use Windows Media Player or RealPlayer.) The videos are about archeological sites and include Mesa Verde, Gila Cliff dwellings, mound builders, and others sites found in North America. There is also a site in Thailand. There are related links with each video. -from LII*


Prehistory Sites

The Long Foreground: Human Prehistory - http://www.wsu.edu/gened/learn-modules/top_longfor/lfopen-index.html
This site provides "some essential background information about human culture prior to the development of civilized communities." It is an illustrated narrative with three sections: Overview of Human Origins, Hominid Species Timeline, and Human Physical Characteristics. Includes information on Australopithecus, Homo habilis, Homo erectus, Homo sapiens, and Neanderthal. From the World Civilizations faculty at Washington State University. -from LII*

 

Mesoweb - http://www.mesoweb.com/
Subtitled An Exploration of Mesoamerican Cultures, this site is "devoted to ancient Mesoamerica and its cultures: the Olmec, Maya, Aztec, Teotihuacano, Toltec, Mixtec, Zapotec and others" and presents information about an archeological dig and restoration project at Palenque in Chiapas, Mexico. Photos, map, animations, videos (requiring QuickTime), rubbings of Maya sculptures, and an illustrated encyclopedia are available as well as the text of the first Palenque roundtable: a conference on art, iconography, and dynastic history of Palenque. There are related links. A joint venture of the Pre-Columbian Art Research Institute (PARI) and Mexico's Instituto Nacional de Antropologia y Historia (INAH). -from LII*

 

Chetro Ketl Great Kiva - http://sipapu.gsu.edu/html/kiva.html
A graphical tour through one of the great religious structures excavated at Chaco Canyon, which was one of the major centers of Anasazi civilization. -from LII*

 

Giza Plateau Mapping Project - http://www-oi.uchicago.edu/OI/PROJ/GIZ/Giza.html
This site is of a project mapping the settlements of ancient Egypt at Giza. The annual reports for the project for 1991-1999 are available and contain the findings for each year. While the computer model for the Giza Plateau is still in development, models for Khufu pyramid and others are available, as is a rendering for the courtyard of the Sphinx temple. Included is a reprint of an article titled Excavation at Giza 1988-1991: The Location and Importance of the Pyramid Settlement by Mark Lehner, Associate Professor of Egyptology at the University of Chicago. -from LII*

 

Collapse: Why do Civilizations Fall? - http://www.learner.org/exhibits/collapse/

A site that explores the decline of four ancient civilizations: the Maya, the early civilization of Mesopotamia, Chaco Canyon (the Anasazi of the Southwestern United States), and the Mali and Songhai of western Africa. The methods used by archeologists to understand why these particular civilizations collapsed are also presented. Links to related Internet resources and citations of print sources are available. -from LII*

 

Flints and Stones: Real Life in Prehistory - http://museums.ncl.ac.uk/flint/menu.html
Presents two views of the Stone Age in Europe: that of the shaman and that of the archeologist. Both are well illustrated with colorful drawings and photographs. Produced by The Museum of Antiquities of the University Newcastle upon Tyne. -from LII*

 

ABZU: Guide to the Study of the Ancient Near East - http://www.etana.org/abzu/

An extensive index of resources for the ancient civilizations of the Near and Middle East, including Egypt, Sudan, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Judea, Lebanon, Cyprus, Syria, Turkey, Anatolia, Kurdistan, Assyria, Babylonia, Mesopotamia, Iraq, Iran, Persia, Armenia, the Indus Valley, the Persian Gulf, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, the Gulf States, and the Red Sea. -from LII*

 

The Ancient Indus Valley - http://www.harappa.com/har/har0.html
The story of the ancient Indus Valley civilization that flourished around 2,500 B.C. focussing on the city of Harappa.

Ancient Egyptian Culture Exhibit - http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/egypt/
This site provides a glimpse into ancient Egypt. Topics cover daily life, art, the military, architecture, hieroglyphs, religion, government, maps, history (including a timeline), and archaeology. Features a bibliography and related links. From the EMuseum at Minnesota State University, Mankato. -from LII*

 

Art of the First Cities: The Third Millennium B.C. from the Mediterranean to the Indus
An online companion to the landmark exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art which "surveys the flourishing of the world’s earliest civilizations in Mesopotamia and surrounding regions — stretching from the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean across Iran and Central Asia to the Indus Valley" 5,000 years ago. Select themes such as death and burial, or clothing and personal adornment, to see annotated images of items. -from LII*

 

Introduction to Archaeoastronomy - http://www.wam.umd.edu/~tlaloc/archastro/cfaar_as.html
What do Chaco Canyon, Gotland, Stonehenge, Takamatsu Zuka Kofun, and Carnac have in common? This page defines archaeoastronomy as the "study of the astronomical practices, celestial lore, mythologies, religions and world-views of all ancient cultures" and provides an annotated set of links, organized by subject, to General, Native American/Meso-American, Megalithic, and World archaeoastronomy sites. -from LII*

 

Yaxuná Archeology Project - http://maya.csuhayward.edu/yaxuna/
An archeological project of an ancient Mayan city located in the heart of the Yucatan. Papers, articles, and reports are available. With the plug-in Shockwave various aspects of the site can be viewed and by utilizing QuickTime one can watch movies at the project. Various maps both of the ancient Yucatan and the modern one are included. There are related links.

 

Journal of world prehistory - http://www.kluweronline.com/issn/0892-7537/contents
Fee-based electronic journal includes some free abstracts and some free issues to non-subscribers. -from InfoMine*

Prehistory of Alaska - http://www.nps.gov/akso/akarc/
National Park service presents an overview of the prehistory of Alaska, descriptions of the cultural resources archaeology, history, ethnography) in each national park and preserve in the state of Alaska and a bibliography of sources on Alaskan archaeology. -from InfoMine*

 

 

 

 


*Sources of Web Links:
LII= Librarians' Index to the Internet (lii.org)
InfoMine= InfoMine (http://infomine.ucr.edu/)

 

 

 

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last revised: 2-23-07
by Eric Brenner, Skyline College, San Bruno, CA