The Archaeology of Ethnicity: Constructing Identities in the Past and Present

by Siân Jones

Overview

The question of ethnicity is highly controversial in contemporary archaeology. Indigenous and nationalist claims to territory, often rely on reconstructions of the past based on the traditional identification of 'cultures' from archaeological remains. Sian Jones responds to the need for a reassessment of the ways in which social groups are identified in the archaeological record, with a comprehensive and critical synthesis of recent theories of ethnicity in the human sciences. In doing so, she argues for a fundamentally different view of ethnicity, as a complex dynamic form of identification, requiring radical changes in archaeological analysis and interpretation.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781134767939
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	11/01/2002
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	200
File size:	975 KB

About the Author

Siân Jones

Table of Contents

List of figures, Preface, Definitions, 1 Introduction, 2 The archaeological identification of peoples and cultures, 3 Taxonomies of difference: the classification of peoples in the human sciences, 4 Ethnicity: the conceptual and theoretical terrain, 5 Multidimensional ethnicity: towards a contextual analytical framework, 6 Ethnicity and material culture: towards a theoretical basis for the interpretation of ethnicity in archaeology, 7 Conclusions: constructing identities in the past and the present, Notes, References, Index

Editorial Reviews

'Sian Jones develops here a new framework for the analysis of ethnicity in archaeology that has methodological, interpretative and political implications.' – Minerva

'...powerful and definitive...' – New Scientist

In critically picking a way through the confusing history of ideas and theories, The Archaeology of Ethnicity offers a timely and much-needed synthesis and critique. With coherence and style, this book illustrates how far archaeology has come in recognising the relativity of ethnicity and the distance it still has to travel.' – Times Literary Supplement

'This volume makes a valuable contribution to the discussion of ethnicity in archaeology, and is a 'must' for archaeologists considering aspects of ethnic identity.' – The Archaeological Journal

'This book is useful because it summarises a long and complicated discussion of ethnicity and attempts to apply it to archaeology.' – ARC

'This is an useful introduction to current social theories of ethnicity and a concise summary of archaeological approaches to it. It deserves to be widely raed and ought to form a springboard for further exploration.' – Antiquity

'This book is useful because it summarises a long and complicated discussion of ethnicity and attempts to apply it to archaeology.' – Archaeological Review, Cambridge

'A remarkable book and a welcome contribution to archaeological and anthropological reasoning about ethnicity and cultural identity. It is warmly recommended and deserves a wide readership far beyond our own disciplinary boundaries.' – Norwegian Journal of Archaeology

From the Publisher