Archaeology and its Discontents: Why Archaeology Matters

Archaeology and its Discontents examines the state of archaeology today and its development throughout the twentieth century, making a powerful case for new approaches.

Surveying the themes of twentieth-century archaeological theory, Barrett looks at their successes, limitations, and failures. Seeing more failures and limitations than successes, he argues that archaeology has over-focused on explaining the human construction of material variability and should instead be more concerned with understanding how human diversity has been constructed. Archaeology matters, he argues, precisely because of the insights it can offer into the development of human diversity. The analysis and argument are illustrated throughout by reference to the development of the European Neolithic.

Arguing both for new approaches and for the importance of archaeology as a discipline, Archaeology and its Discontents is for archaeologists at all levels, from student to professor and trainee to experienced practitioner.

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Archaeology and its Discontents: Why Archaeology Matters

Archaeology and its Discontents examines the state of archaeology today and its development throughout the twentieth century, making a powerful case for new approaches.

Surveying the themes of twentieth-century archaeological theory, Barrett looks at their successes, limitations, and failures. Seeing more failures and limitations than successes, he argues that archaeology has over-focused on explaining the human construction of material variability and should instead be more concerned with understanding how human diversity has been constructed. Archaeology matters, he argues, precisely because of the insights it can offer into the development of human diversity. The analysis and argument are illustrated throughout by reference to the development of the European Neolithic.

Arguing both for new approaches and for the importance of archaeology as a discipline, Archaeology and its Discontents is for archaeologists at all levels, from student to professor and trainee to experienced practitioner.

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Archaeology and its Discontents: Why Archaeology Matters

Archaeology and its Discontents: Why Archaeology Matters

by John C. Barrett
Archaeology and its Discontents: Why Archaeology Matters

Archaeology and its Discontents: Why Archaeology Matters

by John C. Barrett

eBook

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Overview

Archaeology and its Discontents examines the state of archaeology today and its development throughout the twentieth century, making a powerful case for new approaches.

Surveying the themes of twentieth-century archaeological theory, Barrett looks at their successes, limitations, and failures. Seeing more failures and limitations than successes, he argues that archaeology has over-focused on explaining the human construction of material variability and should instead be more concerned with understanding how human diversity has been constructed. Archaeology matters, he argues, precisely because of the insights it can offer into the development of human diversity. The analysis and argument are illustrated throughout by reference to the development of the European Neolithic.

Arguing both for new approaches and for the importance of archaeology as a discipline, Archaeology and its Discontents is for archaeologists at all levels, from student to professor and trainee to experienced practitioner.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781000347579
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Publication date: 03/30/2021
Series: Themes in Archaeology Series
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 180
File size: 2 MB

About the Author

John C. Barrett is Emeritus Professor of Archaeology at the University of Sheffield, having previously taught at the Universities of Leeds and Glasgow. He is the author of Fragments from Antiquity (1994) and co-author, with Michael Boyd, of From Stonehenge to Mycenae (2019). His research has focused upon British and European prehistory and archaeological theory.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1. Explanation and understanding 2. The archaeological record 3. Systems and the dynamics of historical change: The New Archaeology 4. A Social Archaeology 5. From functionalism to a symbolic and structural archaeology 6. The evolution of ecosystems 7. The making of populations 8. The cultures of life Epilogue

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