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Oxbow says: Since its original publication in 1981, this has been one of the best introductions to church archaeology available. Now completely revised, restructured and rewritten, taking into account recent research and discoveries, as well as the changing legal and administrative context to church archaeology, it admirably covers the questions, dilemmas, physical and ethical issues facing those seeking to investigate, record and conserve ecclesiastical buildings. For the vast majority of churches there is no handy guidebook and little available information on the history and architecture of the building, despite the growth of church archaeology in the last thirty years. Here, Warwick Rodwell traces the history of interest in churches, from early chroniclers and the work of antiquarians, to the shape of the modern discipline today. Throughout, he discusses why people have been interested in churches, what questions they have asked of them, and how they have sought to find answers. With each church having its own unique story to tell, the author explores how church buildings are surveyed and excavated, how this information is interpreted, how the fabric of the church is recorded, how documentary and archaeological evidence are married together, and touches on how churches are conserved and preserved for the interests of visitors and parishioners alike. More delicate issues of exploring and therefore disturbing churchyards, dealing with bones, burials and grave monuments, are also discussed, whilst the 2012 edition adds entirely new chapters covering the archaeology of the construction process, from marking out the site to decorating the church and adding the fixtures.