"The fact that shells remain preserved in some ancient sediments and soils, and can be used for environmental reconstruction, has been known for over a century. It is now over thirty years since the first textbook on sub-fossil molluscan analysis as applied to the British Isles appeared and, since then, both sub-fossil molluscan studies and archaeology have changed a good deal. The latter, in particular, has become more interested in 'off-site' contexts and the creation and modification of 'landscapes' as a whole, areas of study in which Mollusca were already proven as a useful biological tool. Molluscan analysis itself has adopted, or at least tried, various sampling and interpretative strategies, and obviously amassed a great deal more data." "This book covers the general principles and methods, the importance of understanding modern molluscan ecology and discusses recent studies and advances in archaeologically related molluscan research. On a more general level, it takes a broad European perspective and provides case studies from non-archaeological contexts including chapters on wet-ground deposits such as tufa and overbank alluvium, colluvial, scree and cave deposits, blown sand, and fluvial deposits such as lake and channel fills. In this respect the book largely takes a contextual approach, providing commentary and case-studies according to the types of sediments involved rather than adopting a strict chronological approach to late-Quaternary landscape development."--Jacket.