THIS BOOK WOULD NOT EVEN BE POSSIBLE WERE IT NOT FOR the efforts of all the archaeologists who have come before me and whose work I am describing here. I am proud to be part of a long and distinguished academic discipline, working in a field that is of interest to so many people.
Along those lines, I’d like to thank all the students who have taken my Introduction to Archaeology course at George Washington University—usually close to 140 every fall semester for each of the past fifteen years—and all the students who have come digging with me over the years at Megiddo and Tel Kabri. This is especially dedicated to all those who have majored in archaeology with me as their advisor—more than 150 so far.
I’d also like to thank a few specific people, first and foremost of whom is Rob Tempio, my editor at Princeton University Press, who suggested that I write this book and provided thoughtful guidance throughout the creative process. Rob is more than my editor; I am proud to call him my friend as well. Second, I’d like to thank Glynnis Fawkes, a superb artist and wonderful archaeological illustrator, whose drawings can be found throughout this book, and Michele Angel, who drew the fabulous maps. I also would like to thank Shaquona Crews, Scot Kuehm, Ryan Mulligan, and everyone else at Princeton University Press who has helped this book to see the light of day. I would especially like to thank Mitchell Allen and Jill Rubalcaba, who individually went through the final drafts of the manuscript with a fine-toothed comb, offering suggestions and erudite edits, as well as Peter Cooper, William Dardis, Randy Helm, Daniel Reynoso, Dan Rubalcaba, Jim West, Cassandra Wiseman, and several anonymous peer reviewers, all of whom read and made suggestions on all or portions of the manuscript in its various earlier drafts, improving it immeasurably.
Last, but by no means least, I’d like to thank my family—my parents, Martin and Evelyn, for allowing me to indulge my passion while I was growing up; my children, Hannah and Joshua, for allowing me to continue indulging it while they were growing up; and most especially my wife, Diane, for putting up with me and all of this for so long.