Archaeological Theory

by Matthew Johnson

This is a lively overview of the major ideas and concepts in archaeological theory.

Genres: Archaeology, Nonfiction, Anthropology, History, Theory, Philosophy, Science

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Librarian Note: There are more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Matthew 2^ Johnson: GR Author, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magic Realism
Matthew 3^ Johnson: GR Author, Fantasy
Matthew 4^ Johnson: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Short Stories
Matthew 5^ Johnson: Organic Life
Matthew 6^ Johnson: Biography for Children, History

Reviews

[Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Voor mij was dit een lastig boek om te lezen. Niet zozeer omdat de inhoud zelf lastig was, maar omdat mijn Engels simpelweg te beperkt is. Desondanks zie ik dit boek als een must-read voor archeologiestudenten. Het geeft een duidelijk, beknopte uitleg van de meest gangbare wetenschapstheorieën binnen de archeologie. Die beknoptheid is voor mij tevens het grootste minpunt: het blijft een samenvatting zonder veel diepgang, maar daarmee is het doel van het boek wel bereikt. Het daagt je uit om kritisch naar je eigen positie binnen het wetenschappelijk onderzoek te kijken en na te denken over waarom je denkt zoals je denkt.

Ik kan zelfs vertellen dat ik het zie zitten om meer literatuur over theorie te gaan lezen! Johnson heeft het voor elkaar gekregen om 'droge theorie' leuk te maken.

[Ραδάμανθυς Φωτόπουλος · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starts off somewhat slow and cringe-y, like your generic university textbook since the author in an effort to show how university students view theory in Archaeology, makes up dialogs that he might have had with a student that simply wants to do "pure" and "apolitical" archaeology.
But once you go past the simplistic questions and the bubble format, it is a very descent introduction into the current "schools" of thought in archaeology. Most importantly it presents the ways that contemporary thought shapes the very questions asked by archaelogists through time.
I learned a lot, took note of more literature on the subject of theory to study in the future and had fun reading it.

[Frank Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Should one be depressed by the sheer scope of disagreement, or encouraged that there remains much to be debated?

This book started terribly, with the unnecessary premise of a fictional student posing questions for the author, steering the content. These always come with appallingly bland dialogue and the misguided presumption that it holds the author to account. As the book progressed the premise persisted but was alleviated, as the interactions between the author and the imaginary friend became fewer and were spaced farther apart.

Another slight annoyance at the beginning is that for some reason, even though we have purchased his book titled 'Archaeological Theory' - the author still felt it necessary to convince us that theory is important. Bro, we're here for it, get on with it.

Eventually though, the book does get deeply fascinating, and wildly philosophical too. Entering at the current state of any discipline, it is easy to overlook the hard yards that have gone into reaching that point. I must admit though, that Archaeology sounds like it is at where most other sciences were at in the early half of the 20th century.

While there was much that was stimulating in this book, I found that it occasionally became tedious. For example, parallels with Darwin's dangerous idea may have been relevant but the section felt like it lasted far too long and was trying to convince us of its validity. A completely unnecessary diversion in my opinion. Anyone who still needs to be convinced that evolution occurs, isn't going to find the truth in a book about archaeological theory. imho

Arguing the fundamentals of different theoretical positions really was the crux of this book and was worth the entry fee. Trying to sort out whether all ideas have some validity or whether they're all wrong, was a definite roller-coaster ride.

[nastia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

didn't read the last chapters bcs i didn't have time (this was for exams) but it is a very solid grasp on archaeological theory and the various thought movements etc. idk if a total beginner would find it easy to comprehend ( i found it complicated and I'm in my 4th year of this archaeology degree ) but i'd recommend :')

[Andrew Earnshaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Matthew Johnson provides a strong introduction to the most prominent beats of archaeological thought up until the start of the 21st century. While it is relatively thin on exploring 'cultural history', it is an excellent introduction to 'New Archaeology' and the main themes of 'post-processual' archaeology. Johnson also spends a good bit of time applying what he has taught to a few of his pet areas.

If you are new to archaeology, then read this book, a chapter a day, until you're done. You will then have a high-level understanding of where archaeological theory has been, its dependency on other fields for stimulus and the highly varied nature of theoretical archaeology today.

For those who have been in and around archaeology for a while, this is a useful book to revisit. The book's primary strength is reminding archaeologists of the breadth of thought within our subject and provides a stimulus on how we can think about archaeological material.

As another reviewer has said, one book cannot hope to be the last word on archaeological theory, and that's not what this book is trying to achieve. However, it is a powerful primer for diving deeper into the world of archaeology.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great overview of archaeological theory. Simply explained, fantastic for those of us who are a bit simple when it comes to theory. So read up and figure out if you're a procesualist or a post-processualist.

[Riversue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clear and easy to read - which is nice to find in a book about theory.

[Alyssa Terrill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great intro to theory 👍 I’ve read this twice now, once as a student and once as a TA.

[andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

lol this was just one of my text books

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Low-key changed my entire view of the discipline (in a good way) but it was a SLOG

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the required reads for a core module of my Archaeology Masters Degree. It was generally an easy enough read, although some of the concepts haven't really stuck yet!
Until I read some additional books and papers, I can't really assess this volume for accuracy or coverage. But at this stage it does seem to cover the subject quite extensively.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5

[Niloofar karimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

این کتاب با ترجمه دکتر کامیار عبدی با عنوان " مقدمه‌ای بر باستان‌شناسی نظری" در انتشارات سمت منتشر شده.
دکتر عبدی سالها قبل کتاب دیگری با عنوان " مبانی نظری باستان‌شناسی" از کن دارک رو هم ترجمه کرده‌ بودند.
به نظر من کتاب کن‌دارک بیشتر متمایل به روش‌‌های عملی هست ولی این کتاب واقعا مقدمه‌ و سرآغازی برای مطالعه مباحث نظری در باستان‌شناسیه. این کتاب هم سخته هم آسون. سیر فکری نویسنده و ترجمه خوب مترجم باعث آسون شدن خوندنش شده ولی خود مبحث مقداری دشواره و به قول نویسنده بعد از این کتاب تازه باید رفت و خوند. قطعا همه دانشجویان باستان‌شناسی باید این کتاب رو بخونند، چون به قول نویسنده: عقل سلیم کافی نیست و استفاده از نظریه هم اختیاری نیست اجباریه.

[Books from Faeries · Rating 5 out of 5]

ᚠ “El pasado ha muerto, ya no existe, pero es aún algo poderoso”.

-Matthew Johnson

Una introducción a la Teoría Arqueológica con una escritura ordenada, con ejemplos claros y prácticos para comprender las diferentes formas de estudiar la cultura material.

Aborda los siguientes temas principales:

- Arqueología Procesual (Nueva Arqueología)

- Arqueología Postprocesual

- Arqueología de Género, Arqueología Feminista

- Historia y Arqueología

- Arqueología y Evolucionismo

- Arqueología y Postmodernismo

Me encantaron las aluciones literaturarias a Shakespeare, Lewis Carroll, entre otros.

[Harry Minogue · Rating 5 out of 5]

My second time around with this textbook (and first time finishing it, I wasn't the best undergraduate). An excellent, consistently engaging introduction to the shifting sands of archaeological theory. A must read for anyone beginning, or indeed continuing, serious study of the discipline and its history.

[Savannah Nielson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Approachable text set up like you’re having a conversation with the author on the history of archaeological theory.

[Elia Princess of Starfall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Theory, even at its most benign, most placid or most understandable form, tends to irrevocably scare the living daylights out of most (sane?) people.

Theory is often seen as too "elitist", too "academic"or too "specialized" with too great an undeserved emphasis on its own superiority and influence. Its difficult, at certain times, to comprehend or make tangible sense out of theory especially the more obscure or lurid ones. Its a subject that will often make individuals inwardly shudder or groan with exasperation when forced to undertake a compulsory theory course.

To steal from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, theory and its understanding can be likened to trying to catch smoke with your bare hands; it is not going to happen without the right equipment, knowledge and thinking.

Matthew Johnson does an admirable and diligent job in attempting to carry his most arduous task. He tries to convince archaeology students that not only is archaeological theory worthwhile and engaging but also how such theories developed in their wider worldly context and how they have influenced the practice of archaeology to this day. Its a hefty undertaking of his but IMHO he does a well-done and interesting take on archaeological theory. There's little superfluous jargon and for the technical words that do pepper the text there's a handy and invaluable glossary for reference. This is a beginners guide to archaeological theory and as such Johnson goes through all the major theories - cultural-historical, New Archaeology or processual, post-processual and gender - explaining in succinct detail how each developed alongside their political and economic context and their impact on the subject of archaeology. Johnson writes with zest and enthusiasm with there very boring patches to trawl through in fairness.

Although I did enjoy this book I would only recommend it to fans of archaeology or those very very interested in theory.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Johnson's book provides a nice overview of archaeological theory. His writing style makes theory comprehensible without unnecessary jargon. There are other books which go into greater detail, but for an introductory text for undergraduate students or a quick review, this book will suffice.

[Aimee · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the easiest to understand archaeological theory texts I read.

[Lee Broderick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Argues convincingly that archaeology does not and cannot exist without theory.

[Jean-michel Pigeon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bonne introduction à la théorie en archéologie

[Elliot W. · Rating 1 out of 5]

pretty basic. requires additional reading but it is a good place to start. author biases fairly clear. not my favorite lol

[Sara M · Rating 4 out of 5]

BRAKUJE PRZYPISOW SKANDAL

[radiev · Rating 5 out of 5]

nie dajcie się zwieść, to jest książka opisująca najważniejsze nurty myśli zachodniej XX wieku.

[Marnu Gouws · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very Informative!