Understanding why this should be so and how we as a society might deal with these widespread pseudoscientific beliefs are the subjects at the heart of this study.

Even in a world where secular scientific discoveries and assumptions have come to dominate the lives of so many people, science cannot be said to have rendered religion obsolete. Since the nineteenth century, one particular debate has been of central importance in apparent conflicts between science and religion: that of evolutionist versus creationist views on human origins. This book presents both the history and the contemporary dimensions of disputes over the emergence of our species. It focuses on the ways in which conservative Protestants have either opposed or attempted to appropriate the languages and methods of secular scientists in defence of a Genesis-based account of the origins of life. Leading authorities on creationism and creation science are brought together from such disciplines as anthropology, sociology, religious studies, history and philosophy. This is the first book to attempt a comprehensive comparative survey of creationist movements around the English-speaking world. A central question addressed by the contributors is why anti-evolutionist ideas appear to flourish in some social and cultural contexts, but are ridiculed in others.

"If you think the history you were taught in school was accurate, you're in for a big surprise. This group of researchers blows the lid off everything you thought you knew about the origins of the human race and the culture we live in"--Cover p. [4].

Gives a description of evolutionary theory and analyzes the arguments of the creationists.

Scrutinizing, in detail, the relationship between archaeology, heritage and the public, this much-needed volume explores public interest and participation in archaeology as a subject worthy of academic attention in its own right. Examining case studies from throughout the world; from North America, Britain, Egypt and Brazil to East Africa, China and beyond, Nick Merriman focuses on two key areas: communication and interpretation, and stakeholders. Constant reports of new discoveries, protests over the destruction of sites and debates over the return of artefacts such as the Elgin marbles or indigenous remains testify to an increasing public interest in archaeology. For students and scholars of this archaeology, and of its relationship with the public, this will prove essential reading.

A fascinating and timely book which demonstrates once and for all why 'scientific' creationism is not only bad science but also bad theology---and in the process spells out the principles that guide genuine discovery. Basically, an expose of all pseudo-science. A badly needed overview of the scientific view of evolution, explaining clearly and straightforwardly exactly what scientists think and why.

Including case studies, this collection of engaging and stimulating essays written by a diverse group of scholars, scientists and writers examines the phenomenon of pseudoarchaeology from a variety of perspectives.

In this concise, student-friendly look at the public appropriation of archaeology, Troy Lovata examines outright hoaxes, fanciful re-creations, artistic representations, commercial enterprises, and discredited replicas of the past.

Examines the impact of the author's controversial 1993 book Forbidden Archaeology on the scientific community.

Gold, pomp, and circumstances surrounded the mummies of Inca emperors, but the elaborate funerary rites at the end of prehistory were only part of a tradition that began thousands of years earlier. Life and Death at Paloma, the first in-depth treatment of burials from a preagricultural South American village, analyzes the life of its people during a revolutionary time in prehistory: the transition from a hunting-gathering-fishing way of life to a more sedentary horticultural society. Drawing upon the data that he collected as part of the University of Missouri's excavations at Paloma, Jeffrey Quilter gives us the first study of preceramic Peruvian life through his analysis of this site's graves and contents. His extensively illustrated book is also the first attempt to infer social organization from such data for this period—circa 5000 to 2500 B.C.—in Peru. In addition, he presents the only available summary and discussion of the known preceramic interments from western South America. Coastal Peru is one of the few New World regions where the early development of complex societies can be studied. Life and Death at Paloma will greatly assist such research by specialists in mortuary studies, in Andean prehistory, and in hunter-gatherer societies.