Includes bibliographical references (p. [233]-261) and index

This book examines the archaeological implications of Islam as a force that can act upon all areas of life. It examines distinctive material culture remains and categories of evidence that can be described, tested, and used to indicate the presence of Islam in the archaeological record. The subject and the geographical area of Islam are vast. This book provides an assessment of the means and the methods of uncovering Islamic material records in the context of a wide range of times and places. Separate chapters examine the mosque, the domestic environment, the Islamic city, death and burial, art, manufacturing, and trade. The volume draws evidence from the perceived heartlands of the Islamic world (Arabia and the Near East), and from those regions traditionally regarded as the periphery (Africa and the Far East). Coverage extends from the origins of Islam in the seventh century up to the present.