The waterlogged conditions at Novgorod, Russia, provide a unique environment in which wood artifacts can be preserved. Part of a series on the archaeology on medieval Novgorod, this title focuses specifically on the extensive wood artifacts from Novgorod and the ways in which wood was exploited by the town's medieval inhabitants. Brisbane (archaeology, Bournemouth U., UK) and Hather (formerly archaeology, U. College London) present 25 essays on the topic from international contributors in eight sections: introductory materials; the use of wood in civil and domestic building, economic activities, and transport; domestic use of wood; toys, games, and pastimes; decorative and ritual wood; and a chronological bibliography of Novgorod wood published between 1933 and 2000. The title is occasionally illustrated though an included CD-ROM provides 500 additional images. Distributed in North America by The David Brown Book Co. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)