"This work aims to bring archaeology within the domain of contemporary human affairs and to forge a new methodology for coping with environmental problems from an archaeological perspective. Using the later prehistory of Africa as a comparison, the utility of this methodological strategy in interpreting cultural change and assessing the long-term response to current global climatic fluctuations is examined and understood.". "This volume will be of interest of archaeologists, African historical researchers, and any agency in the global environmental and ecological fields."--BOOK JACKET.