Gordon R. Willey and American Archaeology: Contemporary Perspectives

by William L. Fash, Jeremy A. Sabloff

Overview

Gauging the impact of one scholar’s contributions to modern archaeology

For an appreciation of the growth of American archaeology over the second half of the twentieth century, one need look no further than the career of Gordon R. Willey. A preeminent archaeologist and New World theorist, Willey made innumerable contributions to the prehistory of the Americas and helped establish the leading methodological and theoretical paradigm used in American archaeology.

This volume of original essays gauges the wide-ranging impact of Willey’s lifework. The editors have selected ten of his key publications and solicited assessments of their lasting influence from well-known archaeologists. These works cut across geographic regions and areas of inquiry and represent some of the most challenging intellectual questions in archaeology, explaining Willey’s methods while revealing how greatly his work shaped the field.

The articles reflect the importance of Willey’s research in coastal Peru in developing the field of Andean archaeology, and show how his application of the settlement pattern approach to the Belize Valley forever transformed the archaeology of Mesoamerica.

This volume not only analyzes Willey’s impact on culture history and archaeological thought but also shows his human side, places his writing in historical context, and offers a unique overview of the growth of American archaeology over the past six decades. To understand the work of Gordon R. Willey is to understand the history and future direction of American archaeology.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780806138053
Publisher:	University of Oklahoma Press
Publication date:	05/28/2007
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

William L. Fash is the Bowditch Professor of Central American and Mexican Archaeology and Ethnology and the Howells Director of the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology at Harvard University.

Jeremy A. Sabloff is an archaeologist with a specialty in ancient Maya civilization. He is an external professor and past president of the Santa Fe Institute and the Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Anthropology, Emeritus, at the University of Pennsylvania.  He is the author or co-author of ten books and monographs, as well as the editor or co-editor of fourteen books.