Debating Archaeology (Studies in Archaeology)
In this book, Biford collects and comments on the twenty-eight substantive papers he has published in the 1980′s, just as he collected and commented on his papers of the 1970′s in Working at Archaeology (Academic Press, 1983) and his papers of the 1960′s in An Archaeological Perspective (Academic Press, 1972). This ongoing collection of self-edited papers, together with the extensive and very candid interstitial commentaries, provides an invaluable record of the development of “The New Archaeology” and a challenging view into the mind of the man who is certainly the most creative archaeological theorist of our time.
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read morePrehistory, Personality, and Place: Emil W. Haury and the Mogollon Controversy
When Emil Haury defined the ancient Mogollon in the 1930s as a culture distinct from their Ancestral Pueblo and Hohokam neighbors, he triggered a major intellectual controversy in the history of southwestern archaeology, centering on whether the Mogollon were truly a different culture or merely a “backwoods variant” of a better-known people. In this book, archaeologists Jefferson Reid and Stephanie Whittlesey tell the story of the remarkable individuals who discovered the Mogollon culture, fought to validate it, and eventually resolved the controversy.
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read moreCritical Traditions in Contemporary Archaeology: Essays in the Philosophy, History and Socio-Politics of Archaeology
Bringing together innovative recent research in the history, philosophy and socio-politics of archaeology, the aim of this collection is to consolidate new initiatives in archaeological theory and to examine questions recently brought to prominence by and in response to the New Archaeology.
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read moreRe-constructing Archaeology: Theory and Practice (New Studies in Archaeology)
Reconstructing Archaeology challenges the disciplinary practices of both traditional and “new” archaeology by presenting a radical alternative–a critically self-conscious archaeology aware of its present role, and a social archaeology that appreciates artifacts not merely as objects of analysis but as keys to a social world of both past and present. The book ranges widely across social and philosophical literature, from the philosophy of science to hermeneutics, from structuralism to poststructuralism. It attempts to bridge the gap between theoretical argument and practical research, whether in excavation, artifact analysis or the relationship between professional archaeologists and the public.
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read moreProphet, Pariah, and Pioneer: Walter W. Taylor and Dissension in American Archaeology
In his 1948 work “A Study of Archaeology”, recently minted Harvard Ph.D. Walter W Taylor delivered the strongest and most substantial critique of American archaeology ever published. He created many enemies with his dissection of the research programs of America’s leading scholars, who took it as a personal affront. Taylor subsequently saw his ideas co-opted, his research pushed to the margins, and his students punished. Publicly humiliated at the 1985 Society for American Archaeology meeting, he suffered ridicule until his death in 1997. Nearly everyone in the archaeological community read Taylor’s book at the time, and despite the negative reaction, many were influenced by it. Few young scholars dared to directly engage and build on his ‘conjunctive approach’, yet his suggested methods nevertheless began to be adopted and countless present-day authors highlight his impact on the 1960s formation of the ‘New Archaeology’. In “Prophet, Pariah, and Pioneer”, peers, colleagues, and former students offer a critical consideration of Taylor’s influence and legacy. Neither a festschrift nor a mere analysis of his work, the book presents an array of voices exploring Taylor and his influence, sociologically and intellectually, as well as the culture of American archaeology in the second half of the twentieth century.
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read moreThe New Archaeology and the Ancient Maya (“Scientific American” Library)
Using high-tech equipment, chemical analyses and sampling strategies, archaeologists are learning more about how and why cultures change. Using the study of the Maya as a test case, this book shows how the transformation of archaeology has brought new understanding of past civilizations.
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read moreArchaeological Theory in Europe: The Last Three Decades (Material Cultures)
The 1980s have witnessed exciting developments in theoretical writing in Western archaeology. Where previous decades were dominated by the Anglo-American perspective, or “New Archaeology”, recent years have seen the European debate grow in confidence and vitality. “Archaeological Theory in Europe” captures this new spirit of debate as contributors from a wide cross-section of countries evaluate the development of the distinctly national and European characteristics of archaeology and assess future directions. Contributors consider an extensive range of ideologies and viewpoints, stressing the fundamentally historical emphasis and social construction of European archaeology. The development of archaeological theory is traced, with specific emphasis on factors which differ from country to country. In the light of recent racial unrest in Eastern Europe the book stresses the need for theory in European archaeology and the danger inherent in using archaeology to justify regional claims. Ultimately, it is argued that the most active response to archaeology is to celebrate theory within a constantly critical mode.