New Oxford Handbook of Archaeology and Language Published

The new handbook co-edited by Martine Robbeets and Mark Hudson provides a global overview of how archaeology, languages and genes can be combined to shed light on the human past.  

Martine Robbeets and Mark Hudson of the Language and the Anthropocene Research Group have co-edited a major new reference work published by Oxford University Press. The Oxford Handbook of Archaeology and Language appears at a time when the study of ancient DNA and other novel scientific techniques are revolutionizing our understanding of prehistory. Through 33 chapters by 68 co-authors, the book provides a comprehensive, global overview of how archaeology, languages and genes can be brought together to deepen our understanding of the human past. 

The Handbook is divided into three parts. Part I sets out the basic theoretical and methodological frameworks within archaeology and linguistics, and how both those fields increasingly interact with population genetics. Part II provides a historical overview with chapters on hunter-gatherers, Neolithic farming dispersals, the Bronze Age, and writing in early states. Although previous research in archaeolinguistics has tended to focus on prehistory, the present Handbook includes several chapters on the historical era, including one on the Anthropocene. Part III of the Handbook then presents 15 chapters that summarize recent research in the archaeolinguistics of major geographic or linguistic regions, including Indo-European, Uralic, Transeurasian, Sino-Tibetan, Austronesian, Africa, the Andes and Amazonia.

The Oxford Handbook of Archaeology and Language was published by Oxford University Press on June 26, 2025.