In the introductory chapter, Kearns begins by looking closely at the Idalion Tablet, one of the surviving inscriptions from fifth-century BCE Idalion, on Cyprus, which lists land property in the territory of the town. She uses the inscription to introduce the main themes and arguments of the book. These include a focus on rural settlements and histories to complement studies of urbanism and attention to environmental changes and human experiences with climate through concepts of weathering and unruliness. To build a critical landscape archaeology, the chapter outlines approaches to ancient countrysides and human-environment relationships that push beyond narratives of societal collapse. Kearns also introduces the case study of Archaic Cyprus, a period of transformative social and environmental change, with which she will examine unruly landscapes. The chapter closes with a guide to the remaining chapters as well as a note on periodization.