"Archaeology in the Making: Conversations through a Discipline" edited by William L. Rathje, Michael Shanks, and Christopher Witmore. Routledge, London. 448 pp. ISBN 978-0-415-63480-9 (hardcover) US$220.00. 2013. (original) (raw)
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Bulletin of the History of Archaeology, 1997
and Daniel Miller have in common? What are the relationships between McGuire's A MarxistArchaeology (1992) and Zen and the Art of Mo to rcycle Ma intenance (persig 1974)1 If you like the conjunction of paradigms from philosophy and psychology, reflections upon science and the humanities, refreshing reconsiderations of the processual and post-processual debates, and mental gymnastics, you will undoubtedly enjoy a majority of the essays found in this unique book. The goal of this volume is to reflect upon recent theoretical issues in archaeology. The commentators are, in the main, practicing archaeologists educated in the British tradition with substantial backgrounds in social anthropology, social theory, and philosophy. Therefore, some North American-trained anthropological anthropologists may find the scope of this interesting and introspective volume uncustomary and controver sial, perhaps even disjointed and diffused. The work goes beyond the "Old" and "New" Archaeology para digms, modernism. and post-modernism, objectivist and processual versus contextualist and post process ualist approaches, as well as other theoretical (and methodological) dichotomies. A majority of the authors are concerned about the major debates on archaeological theory that have taken place during the past two decades-for example, science and interpretation, and processualism and post-process ualism. Likewise, the papers concern the interr elationships of archaeology and contemporary social theory and draw from philosophy, the structure of science, gender studies, and ethics, among other humanities and social and physical sciences. In sum, the book engages an important question: Has contemporary theory in archaeology moved from constructive, "progressive" dialogues to a series of defensive, intractable positions or "pos tures?" Mackenzie also states that the idea that archaeologists " ... can disengage their personal, social, and political context from their work must also be construed as posturing" (p. 26). There are many fresh voices and divergent opinions presenting some invigorating ideas and challenging theoreticians of archaeological discourse.
Routledge, 2013
This book is intended to change the way we understand archaeology, the way it works, and its recent history. Offered are seventeen conversations among some of its notable contemporary figures, edited and with a commentary. They reveal an understanding of archaeology that runs counter to most text book accounts, delving deeply into the questions that have come to fascinate archaeologists over the last forty years or so, those that concern major events in human history such as the origins of agriculture and the state, and questions about the way archaeologists go about their work. Many of the conversations highlight quite intensely held personal insight into what motivates us to pursue archaeology, what makes archaeologists tick; some may even be termed outrageous in the light they shed on the way archaeological institutions operate – excavation teams, professional associations, university departments. Something of an oral history, this is a finely focused study of a creative science, a collection of bold statements that reveal the human face of archaeology in our contemporary interest in the material remains of the past.
Contemporary Issues in Archaeological Theory
This course explores how archaeologists make sense of the world from artifacts of the past. Human practices and cultural processes resonate, live within the material traces that surround us in our everyday life. How do archaeologists re-imagine these traces as residues of real people in history rather than imaginary beings and ghosts? How do archaeologists place material objects and spaces in the context of human practices, cultural processes and long-term history? In short, we will read, think and write about archaeological ways of thinking about the world. Archaeology, as a modern discipline, investigates the past through the study of its material remains. This material record is documented and interpreted through various intellectual activities from fieldwork to publication. But archaeologists are usually torn between their work in the field (digging, surveying, drawing, travelling, taking notes) and in their academic environment (processing data, interpreting, publishing). Throughout the semester we will spend some thought on this divided life between the field and discourse, and explore some of the novel attempts have been made to bridge them. Archaeology frequently becomes entangled with our daily lives through its politicized engagement with the past and issues of identity. We will examine various theoretical approaches and historiographic models used in archaeology since its inception in the 19th century, while putting a particular emphasis on the recent developments in the theories and methodologies in archaeology in the last few decades. It is intended to provide a solid theoretical and historigraphic basis for the discipline of archaeology. The first few weeks of the course will be dedicated to discussing the central movements in the discipline such as culture-history, New Archaeology, and contextual archaeology, while the second half deals with more contemporary theoretical paradigms such as gender and sexuality, technology and agency, space, place and landscape, and issues of cultural heritage. Particular archaeological materials, sites, projects will be used in discussing the potentials and disadvantages of various approaches. Archaeological case studies will be drawn mostly from the ancient Western Asian and Mediterranean worlds.
The Speaking Archaeologically Journal Volume VI
The Speaking Archaeologically Journal Volume VI, 2023
At the Research Wing in Speaking Archaeologically, our thrust each year is not just to prolifically write more papers but also engage with newer trends in the discipline of archaeology in order to fully explore its diverse and interdisciplinary nature. Consequently, the theme of this Journal centered around two very important yet emerging aspects in current archaeology: Public Archaeology and Digital Archaeology. While the very conception of Speaking Archaeologically as an organisation is based on the core ideas of making archaeological knowledge and research more accessible for the public, in this journal, we decided to bring to light some of our major public archaeology ventures both in terms of the projects we executed individually as can be seen in papers on Sarai Amanat Khan, the forts near Chandigarh and the Megalithic Dolmens at Kallur Naganahalli; and as general reviews of public archaeology ventures both at Speaking Archaeologically and at exhibitions elsewhere. The second section deals with our tryst with Digital Archaeology. A significant amount of the twilight months of 2022 were devoted to grasping the concepts of using GIS Analysis for archaeological data and learning the use of Photogrammetry and its application in archaeology. Two very significant papers, therefore, deal with these very tools and how theywereputtousein researchworkconductedbyourteammembers. Like every year, the Speaking Archaeologically Journal is enriched with contributions by individuals outside the organisation and after careful selection and several edits, two exceptional papers were selected for the Miscellaneous Section with the hopes of making this volume even more informative and instructive for all our readers worldwide. Again, this journal is composed and published with the aim of making archaeological methodsandaims more accessibleandcomprehensibleforanyonewho browses through its pages and we sincerely hope that it will engage, enlighten and draw even more people than before into this truly fascinating discipline that is neither restricted to a handful few nor subject to prior knowledge in history. Archaeology is after all a discipline about the human past for all the humans of the present.
Breaking the "great curse of archaeology". Editorial preface
The journal is open to international research submitted by individual scholars as well as by interdisciplinary teams, and especially wishes to promote work by junior researchers and new and innovative projects. Challenging research themes can be explored in dedicated issues, and theoretical approaches are welcomed. Book reviews and review articles further screen the pulse of the field.
Presentation of the First Issue of the International Journal of Student Research in Archaeology
Gonzalo Linares Matás, Lilla Vonk, Ariane Maggio, Amanda Gaggioli, Dylan S Davis, Antonio Sánchez, Bertie Norman, Kelton Sheridan, Richard Takkou, Helen Rayer, Vivian van Heekeren, Sam Hughes, Sonja Dobroski, Alix Thoeming
A rchaeologists are relevant social agents, and they should aim to demonstrably present our work as interesting and useful. We have the social responsibility to make knowledge available for the public engage with our audience, and to reach people outside the discipline. The practical side of archaeology can be one potential scenario. As Lilla Vonk notes, the possibility of interacting and experiencing the past through and engagement with heritage generates fascination and activates imagination, positively impacting the wellbeing of dementia and arguably other mental health patients. Our discipline can provide an invaluable source of motivation for continuing healthcare in a more enjoyable and meaningful way. Another possibility for public engagement is through the presentation of both research and interpretation. Antonio Sánchez, in his study of Roman viae in Hispania, convincingly argues that archaeology is not limited to excavation and recording. The public dimension of heritage ownership demands that it should be known and respected by everyone, and museums can become a platform for this shared exploration of the significance of archaeological remains. The conservation and curation of museum pieces thus become a paramount dimension of archaeological practice due to their relevance in public presentation and heritage display as embodied materiality of historical memory. Wael Gabo Elgat reports the scientific methodology behind the treatment of Khedive Ismail's antique gun at the NMM-Saladin Citadel in Egypt after suffering a certain degree of decay.
Archaeology in the Making: Conversations through a Discipline - Editorial
2013
Bill Rathje, Michael Shanks and Chris Witmore in conversation with Lewis Binford, Victor Buchli, John Cherry, Meg Conkey, George Cowgill, Ian Hodder, Kristian Kristiansen, Mark Leone, Randy McGuire, Adrian Praetzellis, Mary Praetzellis, Colin Renfrew, Mike Schiffer, Alain Schnapp, Ruth Tringham, Patty Jo Watson, Alison Wylie.