Ascher, R.
1961     Experimental Archaeology. American Anthropologist 63(4):793-816.

Ascher’s 1961 article briefly reviews previous definitions of experimental archaeology then goes on to redefine it as only an imitative test of past behavior(793).  Imitative experiments are set up based on the study of archaeological materials.  Through use of only the materials available to past cultures, researchers can find out how they subsisted and produced technology in the past.  Ascher’s article is landmark because it defined and outlined how experimental archaeology should be approached.  Imitative experiments were not a new technique, in fact many high profile researchers used such studies (794), but there was no standard system to examine the questions.  Using his new criteria, Ascher reviews five case studies to illustrate his guidelines, 1) South African cave painting, 2) California ‘plummets’, 3) American Great Plains notched ribs and scapula, 4) American West shaft straighteners, and 5) Old Work copper smelting. 

Coles, J.M.
1979     Experimental Archaeology. Academic Press, London.

Experimental Archaeology presents an overview of the use of experimentation in archaeological research, including a short history of its application in the field, as well as its potential value to help archaeologists interpret exploration, subsistence, settlement, crafts, and artifact life histories.  The value of this book comes from the comprehensive geographic coverage and examination of most historic and prehistoric time periods.  Coles also reviews all types experimental work, from lithic technologies to megalithic reconstructions to reconstructing watercraft.  Another valuable aspect of the book is the bibliography; Coles believes that the book contains the most complete list of Western studies at its time pf publication. 

Binford, L.R.
1981     Bones: Ancient Men and Modern Myths. Academic Press, Orlando.

Lewis Binford’s Bones is not about experimental archaeology per se, however, it is crucial to understanding the modern value of experimental studies.  Within this volume, Binford explains the role of middle range research in archaeology.  Though he focuses mainly on actualistic studies, he also utilizes experimental, historical, and ethnoarchaeological studies to illustrate his argument of linking the material record to broader cultural processes.  With the secured development of middle range theory, experimental archaeology was not only legitimized as a modern scientific pursuit, butalso received an increased level of attention from researchers. 

Keeley, L.H.
1980      Experimental Determination of Stone Tool Uses. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

This book represents several years of research inspired by S.A. Semenov’s groundbreaking work in high magnification microscopic lithic analysis.  As a Soviet researcher, Semenov’s work was in Russian and remained unknown to Western researchers until 1964 when it was translated into English.  Inspired by Semenov’s research, several researchers began asking new questions concerning the signatures of different materials (e.g. wood, animal hide, antler, and vegetal material) on stone tools.  Keeley’s  microwear book is not a ‘how to’ guide, but rather simply describes the technique and methods involved in the studies.  Keeley provides three examples of microwear studies from Essex, Hoxne, and Suffolk, Great Britain.

Ingersoll, D., J.E. Yellen and W. Macdonald (editors)
1977      Experimental Archeology. Columbia University Press, New York.

Over the last few decades, this edited volume has been an outstanding resource for archaeologists interested in experimental archaeology.  Before Ingersoll, Yellen and Macdonald’s compilation of studies, experimental archaeology was largely concerned with replication or imitation.  This volume moves beyond the previous limits of experimentation by focusing explicitly on the scientific methods of hypothesis driven testing and replicability.  Divided into four parts, this edited volume covers: 1) replication and function through scientific methods, 2) techniques and theoretical underpinnings, 3) the taphonomic and formation processes that may occur at archaeological sites, and 4) ethnographic data, including explorations of both material and nonmaterial culture. 

Hudson, J. (editor)
1993     From Bones to Behavior: Ethnoarchaeological and Experimental Contributions to the Interpretation of Faunal Remains. Center for Archaeological Investigations, Occasional Paper No. 21, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.

 Jean Hudson’s From Bones to Behavior represents a keystone compilation of zooarchaeological studies.  The book covers two main areas, including linking human behavior and evolution as they relate to foraging, and using controlled experiments and the ethnoarchaeological record to make better inferences.  This volume was the result of a 1991 Visiting Scholar Conference at Southern Illinois University. From Bones to Behavior includes nearly all of the leading researchers in zooarchaeology, covering topics of subsistence strategies, settlement patterns, social interaction, and noncultural processes.

Lyman, R.L.
1994     Vertebrate Taphonomy. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Lee Lyman’s Vertebrate Taphonomy is a manual on the study of the processes of burial.  This work is not explicitly an experimental text nor strictly archaeological, but includes many years of experimental and actualistic studies.  Vertebrate Taphonomy is a tremendous reference for previous research and as such has served as inspiration for countless taphonomic experiments.  In the book, Lyman defines and describes the various taphonomic processes, how these processes affect specific taxa, the properties of bone, and the archaeological tools used in zooarchaeological studies.  Lyman has made, and continues to make, tremendous contributions to experimental studies and this volume represents a very significant aspect of that contribution. 

Marean, C.W. and L.M. Spencer
1991      Impact of Carnivore Ravaging on Zooarchaeological Measures of Element Abundance. American Antiquity 56(4):645-658.

Marean and Spencer’s research on carnivore ravaging is the first set of controlled experiments examining carnivores as taphonomic agents in archaeological sites.  In this study, the authors set up two types of simulated sites, including one site with unbroken limb bones and another containing bones fractured for marrow removal.  This study is significant because the researchers controlled the setting, materials, number of scavengers, and the amount of time the scavengers had access to the materials.  Additionally, Marean and Spencer were able to account for all materials (i.e. all bones and bone fragments) after each experiment.  This research is a prime example of how zooarchaeological experimentation taken on a strict scientific methodology. 

Evans, John
1872      The ancient stone implements, weapon, and ornaments of Great Britain. London. 

Sir John Evans was responsible for some of the earliest research on the reproduction of stone tools.  Evans published several studies from the 1860s to the 1890s concerning how to distinguish natural from cultural artifacts and the various means of producing stone tools.  The most comprehensive of these works is his book entitled The Ancient Stone Implements, Weapons, and Ornaments of Great Britain.  In this book, Evans describes the difficulties researchers face in reproducing stone implements, in analyzing tool attributes in order to identify the possible means of production, and in analyzing stone materials at various stages to identify culturally- and naturally-chipped stone.  Numerous studies from the very late 19th century and the 20th century address these difficulties described by Evans, highlighting the value of this early research.

Swanson, E.H. (editor)
1975     Lithic Technology: Making and Using Stone Tools. Mouton, The Hague.

This volume of lithic studies was inspired by twenty years of work of Francois Bordes and Don Crabtree.  The volume is essential due its broad geographic range and use of numerous techniques for lithic analysis.  Some notable examples include Bruce Bradley’s contribution in which he defines the terminology of lithic studies.  Collins and Gunn describe the theoretical frameworks of lithic analysis that assist researchers in identifying cultural activities and separate knappers.  Gunn and Johnson provide some examples of the early application of complex statistical analyses to lithic analysis.